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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25937041">Symbiosis</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Pyo/pseuds/S_Pyo'>S_Pyo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, M/M, Magic, Souls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:48:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>43,323</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25937041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Pyo/pseuds/S_Pyo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Everett Ross responds to Dr. Strange’s appearance in Central Park.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Everett Ross/Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>110</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was unaware these two characters existed until I stumbled upon an “Everstrange” fan art by the immeasurably talented sh2jw a short few weeks ago.</p><p>I confess my ignorance ahead of time for anything regionally inaccurate, as well as all glaring violations of MCU lore I neglected to verify in my research for this story.</p><p>I hope you enjoy the ride along with me as we discover its end (eventually) together.</p><p>I own nothing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Strange trending and live in Central Park. Team awaiting your arrival at the Met.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It had taken him seventeen minutes longer than he would have liked to arrive at the Metropolitan, but that was something Commander Everett Ross knew would happen considering how much attention the Sorcerer Supreme garnered as he was a rather mysterious superhero despite very obviously having no mask or secret identity. He wasn’t Stark levels of renown either; something quite remarkable for someone who the files describe as Earth’s primary defender against magical threats and with a supposed as-of-yet unknown limit on his capabilities. Everett wasn’t surprised he was attracting so much attention; the man was previously a world-class neurosurgeon before becoming a wizard. What kid - hell, adult - didn’t ever dream about being either of those?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett rolled his shoulders, feeling the weight of his carry, and got out of his vehicle as the reporters swelled and surged against the police blockade, hurling questions at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Commander Ross, why are you in Central Park? Are you here for Dr. Strange? Why is he in Central Park? What has he done?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett avoided any eye contact with the press and civilians as he approached the pair of men already sent from ops. They nodded to him as he approached, “Any changes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man to the right, Davis, shook his head, “Not a word. For all we can tell he’s just meditating in the park.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meyers, on the left, flipped around and offered his phone to Everett, “Though the city’s rangers will hate what he’s done with the place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett took the phone and flicked through the multiple photos of the perfectly manicured and green lawns of Central park littered with meandering trails of dandelions in full bloom. It was like someone had simply taken a brush and painted thick lines of bright yellow flowers without rhyme or reason. Everett selected the photos and sent them to his own mobile before handing it back to Meyers, “Do we have an aerial view?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meyers shook his head, “Not a complete one. Lots of foliage in the way so we’re having PD track down everything on foot to get an accurate picture. But, if it’s anything, no one’s recognized it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett nodded, “Alright, well, let’s ask the artist himself.” He followed the other agents as they led him down a path that to the statue of bears Dr. Strange had been photographed hovering above.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Dr. Strange’s floating form came into view, Everett noticed the tiny magic circles rotating around his orange gloved hands and frowned.</span>
  <em>
    <span> He definitely wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>just </span>
  <em>
    <span>meditating.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As a group, they got within thirty feet of the sorcerer before Everett continued on his own for another twenty, “Dr. Strange, my name’s-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everett Ross,” Dr. Strange interrupted calmly as he opened both eyes, unfolded himself and descended. “I was curious who she would choose but, I must admit,  you’re not who I expected.” Pale eyes fixed on him as Dr. Strange advanced with slow strides, “Why choose you, I wonder?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett eyed the magic circles still swirling around Dr. Strange’s fingertips before returning the look with his own, “Who’s ‘she’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange’s brows rose, “I was hoping you’d tell me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s own fell, “Isn’t that supposed to be your shtick: to know all the possible everythings?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange made a noise in the back of his throat, “Without the Time Stone I cannot delve much beyond my own life, but that is why this is so interesting. Concerning, yes, very much so, but also very interesting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett was having a hard time imagining anything being interesting to a man who knew all the possibilities to every choice he ever made. “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange broke out into a grin, “Because now I can’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everett’s face blanched briefly before hardening as he took a step closer to the much taller man while lowering his voice, “Is the Earth in danger?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange’s grin waned as he waved a hand toward the start of one of the many sunny trails leading deeper off into the Park, “While the possibility is always present, in the face of the unknown, I’d like to think a being who enjoys this many flowers hasn’t much desire in destroying the world.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett glanced at the yellow weeds, “So that wasn’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange chuckled, “If I was going to use flowers to get someone's attention, dandelions would be quite low on my list of preferred choices.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re not here to plant flowers but you aren't enjoying the view with your eyes closed.” Dr. Strange’s eyes twinkled and Everett’s narrowed. “You weren’t meditating, since your magic was and still is,” Everett’s gaze flickered to Strange’s fingers which wiggled in response to the scrutiny, “up to something. We all know acting mysterious is your thing but I’m going to have to insist you tell me, Sorcerer Supreme, why are you</span>
  <em>
    <span> here</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange smirked, “Because waiting here was the soonest I stopped being able to see myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s face scrunched, “That doesn’t- You know what,” he raised his hands helplessly, “fine, alright. So, now that you can’t see yourself why are you still here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because the reason I can’t is here in Central Park,” Dr. Strange pointed two fingers toward the nearest patch of dandelions and rolled his wrist to pluck one and float it between them, “running about leaving flowers in her wake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett snatched it out of the air before it hit his nose and pocketed it, “Let me get this straight: there’s an unknown creature hiding out in Central Park growing weeds and messing with your magic vision?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, interesting, isn't it? Is it unique or simply powerful?” Dr. Strange’s face brightened, “Or uniquely powerful?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett pinched his lips into a tight line, “That isn’t something to fuck around about, Strange. In case you’ve forgotten: Earth isn't in the best position to defend itself from Thanos 2.0 at the moment!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The humor evaporated from Dr, Strange’s face, “That is precisely why I am so interested in her: we need all the allies we can for when others come.” Dr. Strange took a half-step closer, looming, “And they </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>come. Earth is no longer able to claim to just be some hunk of rock hurtling through the cosmos with primitive creatures unable to traverse the stars. We are where the six Infinity Stones came together, for the first time since their creation, and were used upon the universe. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Twice</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We can no longer afford to turn away or ignore someone who shows harmless interest in us because even if battles can be won alone wars cannot. I don’t know about you, Mr. Ross, but I do not like the current odds of Earth being able to come away from a war with the universe </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett frowned before folding his arms in front of him, “Alright, you made your point. So then what do we do to find her? Are we even sure it's a her? How do you know it's a her if you haven't seen it yet?” Everett gestured with a shrug and an open palm towards the other agents still a respectful distance away, “I’m not sure how much help my team will be in locating something that your magic can’t...” Everett’s voice trailed off as the circle at the tip of Dr. Strange’s pinkie winked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Sorcerer grinned as he quickly slipped a flat golden ring over two of his fingers and spun around, opening a portal before him with his signature hand waving. The portal revealed a ballfield nearly covered in yellow flowers Everett recognized as one near the North Meadow just before Dr. Strange’s hand clamped around his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett instinctively tried to resist, “What’re you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange didn’t let go or seem to register he was trying to stop from being pulled through the portal. “One of the mirror dimensions I placed throughout the park shattered. There aren’t many who could do that without me feeling the spell weakening first which means,” Dr. Strange looked back at him as they crossed over, “she’s here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett took a stumbling step as Dr. Strange released him once the portal closed. He scanned the area as the Sorcerer began making more hand gestures that spawned magic into the air and circles around his hands. Everett straightened his jacket, feeling the weight of his gun but unable to gain the comfort he usually did at its presence, “Alright, well, you brought me with so I’m assuming there’s something you want me to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic swirling around Strange’s left hand shot into the air and expanded suddenly before shattering to sprinkle over the area with shimmering dust. Strange held out his hands, with fresh magic circles, and began twisting and craning his neck to try and see everywhere, at every angle, at once. “Just stand there and look pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett shot him a dark look as an uneasy realisation struck him, “Did you bring me here as bait?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange circled him while watching the way his magic dust fell to the grass around them. “Mm. ‘Bait’ might be inappropriate but not inaccurate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bristling, Everett thought vividly of decking the hand waving mystic in front of him but, before he could finish taking out his gun to prove he wasn’t going to be some piece of cheese for a rat, Dr. Strange’s gaze shifted and locked onto something over Everett’s right shoulder as he was turning to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Move!” Dr. Strange’s hand was on his arm and shoving him aside with more force than Everett expected a neurosurgeon turned spellcaster was capable of. Everett watched Strange’s other hand aiming expanding circles of magic at something behind him he couldn’t see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the-” Pain erupted in his back and had Everett on his knees as something slammed into his spine just above where he had been shot years ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett knew he was screaming. Howling, shrieking or wailing; he wasn’t sure, but he knew he was doing something because  there was no way he could tolerate the sensation of his spine being invaded, seared and tugged on without </span>
  <em>
    <span>saying </span>
  </em>
  <span>something. Though he was surprised at the sweet scent of the dandelions that plowed into his nose when he finally fell over and blacked out. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There was a dull ache in his chest, just inside his sternum, and Everett flipped around onto his back. How he managed to fall asleep face down in bed he’ll never know-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bed?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s eyes shot open and he pushed himself onto his elbows as he took in the bedroom he found himself in. Warm sunlight streamed through the window high behind him providing just enough natural light to make out floor to ceiling bookshelves stuffed to the brim with books and </span>
  <em>
    <span>things </span>
  </em>
  <span>that Everett didn't even delude himself into identifying. There was a simple wooden desk next to the door on the right and a red cloak hovering upright beside the door on the left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett blinked before narrowing his eyes at what he recognized as Dr. Strange’s cape. He swung his legs off the bed just as he heard water shut off from behind the door next to the cloak. It opened and Everett resisted the urge to rub his chest as he pushed himself up, ready to demand an explanation, “Dr. Strange, why…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small girl, who couldn't have been a day over five, emerged from the en suite and immediately made eye contact with him. A second hadn’t passed before she was beaming a smile so radiant with genuine joy that Everett couldn't stop his own fumbling smile from making its way over his face. When she flung herself at him he instinctively wrapped her up in his arms and let her nuzzle into his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hand Everett had been moving to pat a comforting rhythm onto the child’s back froze and he pulled her away from him to give her a thoroughly confused once over. With blonde hair as long as her pale blue dress and eyes as deep blue as his own Everett admitted, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he could very well see how she might be mistaken as his kid. A chuckle broke Everett from his startled examinations and he turned his eyes back toward the en suite to watch the levitating cloak swirl and position itself onto its rightful place atop Dr. Strange’s shoulders.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You would decide to wake up when we weren't in the room; my timings have never been so </span>
  <em>
    <span>off</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Dr. Strange came over to them, pale eyes never leaving his, “Sleep well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl in Everett’s arms struggled a bit in his hands and, not wanting to hurt her he relaxed his hold. The ache in his chest lessened as the child quickly took advantage of his weakening efforts to maneuver closer with her head tucked under his chin. There was a soft whistling noise coming from her nose with every breath and Everett could only look up at Dr. Strange in silent bemusement. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange gave him a soft smile before placing a hand on the girl’s back, “I know you’re excited he’s awake but you need to introduce yourself.” The girl’s blue eyes shone at Dr. Strange but she made no effort to extract herself from under Everett’s chin. “A good girl is polite,” he met Everett’s identical blue, “especially to her mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stopped himself from calling Dr. Strange a string of names because there was a small child in his arms but that didn't stop him from trying to materialize daggers from his eyes while she wasn't looking at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The small girl pushed herself away and lifted her head to bring them face to face, “My name’s Vira.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett blinked as he glanced between both Dr. Strange and ‘Vira’ before responding, “Hello, Vira, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to look for Dr. Strange’s approval of the exchange and when he smiled and nodded she grinned with pride before returning to her place against Everett’s chest. Everett, bothered by the steadily spreading warmth and wholeness he was feeling by having her safely tucked against him, looked at Dr. Strange as he moved to sit beside him on the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve got questions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett scowled at him, “You’re damn right I’ve got questions. What happened? One minute I’m bait and the next I’m waking up in bed with a child in my arms calling me mommy as if I wasn’t just attacked by a hostile magical creature.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange’s eyebrows hardly moved as he listened to Everett’s confusion. Everett tightened his hold on the girl in his arms as Dr. Strange shifted his gaze from Everett and spoke to her in a calm voice, “Did you hear that, Vira? You hurt Everett yesterday at the Park.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira flinched in his arms and pressed her face into his chest. Everett felt the damp heat of her muffled words through his shirt, “I’m sorry, mommy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strangled groan came from the back of Everett’s throat. Great, so this little girl was the unknown creature. Fan-fucking-tastic. Everett ran a hand through his bedhead, exhaling hard out his nose. He looked down at the creature disguised as a girl. How much was he going to fight her calling him mommy if even the Sorcerer Supreme was placating her by playing along? Obviously the wizard had tried to defend him against her, he clearly remembers the manhandling and the magic flinging just before the heart-stopping pain of whatever she did to him in the Park. But, obviously, Dr. Strange failed and now here they both were, playing house with a creature more powerful than probably anyone on Earth (unless Thor happened to be here this week.). Everett stayed lost in thought until Dr. Strange spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it’s any consolation: she is your child. Genetically, at least.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stared at him open mouthed, “Ex-cuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange lifted one of his hands, not an inch of skin free from the marred scarring of his career destroying accident, and hesitated just before it entered Everett's personal space. Everett wasn’t sure why, but he nodded and Dr. Strange’s hand quickly moved onto her shoulder. “Vira,” Strange was rewarded with the second set of blue eyes staring back at him, “you should show Everett where </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira fidgeted in his arms but pulled back enough to start fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Everett wasn’t sure if he was uneasy with her undressing him because she was a small girl or because she wasn’t. Eventually, she managed to get enough buttons undone to reveal his cotton undershirt and that was when he saw a faintly golden glow in the middle of his chest. Precisely where he had felt the dull ache from before and the warmth now.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh fuck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett tugged at the collar of his shirt, not caring about the horrible stretching and tearing of the fabric in his desperate need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And when he saw it, the pulsing glow under his skin above his heart, Everett knew this wasn't some Tony Stark level shit, but John Hurt’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kane </span>
  </em>
  <span>level shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuckfuckfuckfuck-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, I know what that looks like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett tore away his gaze to look at Dr. Strange dead on, “Do you? Do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Because what I think it looks liked is a whole load of goddamn fuckery!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange didn’t flinch at his words and kept a placid expression as he maintained strict eye contact with Everett. “Vira, I think it’s only fair to reveal all of yourself to Everett; you are demanding quite a lot of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett only glanced at the girl-creature when her small hand came to rest over the glow. His body lurched forward as he felt a tug that went all the way to his spine and when Vira’s hand removed itself from his chest he saw a finger thick wiggling </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing </span>
  </em>
  <span>follow after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought he might be sick and was barely able to choke out a mumbled, “Oh fucking Christ what the fuck is that?” before Dr. Strange spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is Vira. Or, well, a truer form than the human girl she created from both of us in order to communicate with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett couldn’t take his eyes off the sinuous movement of the glow worm coming out of his chest, as a million questions raced through his mind. He might as well have been catatonic for the sheer overloading amount of them and whatever possible answers there were and what they might mean for him. The “Why?” that escaped from between his lips had to be coughed out of him once</span>
  <em>
    <span> it</span>
  </em>
  <span> slipped back under his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that may have been partially my fault. When she leapt at you I tried to protect you with my spells and body but she simply moved through them, and me, before colliding with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett blinked, unsure of how that response was expected to relate to his mumbled question, before taking note of the length of her head in relation to her body, the way her nose was more narrow than his own wider button one and how her upper lip was a bit too bowed. And then there were her cheekbones, cheekbones that he only now noticed as particularly prominent when he realized who they had probably come from (most certainly not him) and that she was still holding onto the baby fat typical of a child barely above a toddler. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason Everett couldn't explain, he actually felt jealous that, if you ignored the coloring of her hair, skin and everything about her eyes, she looked more like Dr. Strange’s kid than his own and he was the one acting as a fucking incubator for the actual creature. “I don’t care about why she looks like some spawn of us. Why the fuck did it pick me and not you?” Everett rounded tired, angry eyes at him, “If it could go right through you, and your magic, why would it want to take over my body when you're the one with the fucking superpowers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your body is nicer and I only want to sleep in your body, not take it over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Startled, Everett turned his head to the girl in his lap and stared at her, confused but fighting the desperation for her to explain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange’s calm voice broke in, “Vibranium.” Once Everett shifted his attention back to the wizard he continued, “It took me a little bit of time to figure it out, since that’s just what we call it but to her Vibranium is a substance that is similar to a safety blanket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t-” Everett cut himself off as he remembered where she had attacked him at the Park. “If she wanted Vibranium, Wakanda has pretty much every ounce of it on the planet.” Everett turned to the girl sitting on his lap, “King T’Challa is a very good friend of mine, I’m sure if I spoke to him he could… make you a whole comforter of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl shook her head and Everett was horribly conflicted with why he was struggling not to grip her hard by her shoulders to demand to know why she wouldn't just leave his body. Fuck </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>for taking advantage of his apparent latent weakness for a child of his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t get too mad at her, that is likely my fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett shot a dangerous look at Dr. Strange who had the nerve to smile sheepishly, “I defeated a very powerful cosmic entity years ago and so she believes me the most capable on the planet to protect her from the other entities of the universe who would seek to harm her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s face crumpled in confusion, “Isn’t that more of a reason for her to choose you over me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange shook his head, “If she resided in my body I may, inadvertently, siphon from her as a means to fuel my magic and that would defeat the whole point of her coming to Earth in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When neither of them made an effort to elaborate, Everett spoke through clenched teeth, “Which is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange’s expression was vibrant, “To heal. When Dr. Banner used the Infinity Stones to undo what Thanos had done he hadn’t simply brought them back into existence, he brought them back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>life</span>
  </em>
  <span> which when you account for the sheer amount of creatures there are in the universe, even half of such an amount is nearly as incalculable you see and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett put up a hand, unconsciously shifting the girl’s weight to his other, “Spare me the math shit and just tell me what the fuck is licking its wounds in my chest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange reigned in his excitement without success, “Life itself!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s eyes widened and flicked back and forth between the two of them as his brows collided just above his nose. He tried to think of something more to say but everything seemed wholly insignificant to the insinuation that Life </span>
  <em>
    <span>itself</span>
  </em>
  <span> was a worm of light curled up around his heart. He had considerable difficulty swallowing, “You can’t expect me to believe-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not Life.” Vira cut through to correct, “I only collect the loose energy in the universe that has the potential to become Life so it can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett wasn’t sure he understood what she was talking about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Dr. Strange did, “She’s like a rainwater collection system.” Everett looked at Dr. Strange with incredulity, but the man only became more animated, “The sky’s the universe, rain the energy, and the Earth a cup with cracks in the bottom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The metaphor was awkward and Everett thought it too weird but when he saw the girl make no attempts to clarify or amend the example he decided to just go ahead and ask: “If your… Allegory is true then what do we need her for? If it doesn’t stop raining and the cup doesn't break we’ll always have ‘water’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange smirked and Everett wanted to wipe the know-it-all look off his face, “True, the cracks won’t empty the cup if we always can manage to catch enough to make up for it, but there are two things you have to keep in mind: we aren’t the only cup and we’re very, very, far from being the largest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett made a clicking sound with his tongue, “So… she’s like robin hood; stealing from the bigger, richer, cups so we don’t go thirsty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No no no no.” Vira’s head shook hard enough to have her hair whip his face, “Only untouched energy, nothing from others because then whatever Life comes from that can never be its own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we don't want that.” Everett murmured, helpless to the fact that it was actually starting to sound a lot less crazy. “So then how did Dr. Banner’s snap… hurt you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was too much.” To Everett’s horror, the little girl’s lip started quivering, “The Life energy needed was energy that had taken half of my existence to collect and to give. I’m unable to store the Life energy I convert because as soon as I gather it it is needed and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>to make sure Life will never be denied the chance to </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But when enough Life energy is needed because half of all life in the universe comes back at once, I-!” Vira’s hiccup interrupted her and once she wasn't shoving words out of her mouth she started bawling in his arms. Vira crumpled against him and all Everett could think to do was hold onto her and pat her back while she steadily drenched his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure why he did it himself but Everett addressed the man silent beside him on the bed, “So, she’s the fuse box and when he snapped his fingers it was like every appliance and every device plugged into an outlet turned on at once and she shorted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange gave a rueful smile, “Not as… Poetic as I would have put it but, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett forced a hard breath out his nose, “Christ, what do I even do in this situation? This is so far beyond me-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me as well,” Dr. Strange sympathized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At Dr. Strange’s admittance, Everett looked at him, “God help us if </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t know what to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never said I didn't know what to do, simply that this situation is far beyond what I ever expected to have to handle as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. Ensuring the safety and continuation of Earth and its people is a much lower bar to clear than protecting the one responsible for Life in the universe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett peeled his tongue from the roof of his mouth, “That’s what I have to do isn’t it? I have to find a way to protect the fucking fuse box of life in the universe from… “ Everett paled and he held the girl in his arms closer to him, “Shit, I can’t even begin to imagine what is after her or how the fuck I’m expected to be able to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling a shoulder towards her, the cloak floated to rest over the girl-creature and Dr. Strange placed a careful hand onto Everett’s shoulder, “You’re already helping more than anyone else in the world can.” Everett’s growing concern was thick and heavy and Dr. Strange offered a reassuring smile, “I won’t pretend to know the secrets of the universe, at least not all of them, but I know that she chose you for a reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no humor in the small upward twitch of his lips, “Yeah, because I’m the only person within a thousand miles of you who's got a chunk of Vibranium for a spine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dr. Strange scoffed, “Oh, please. Distance means nothing as I can be anywhere within seconds, and we both know there are citizens of Wakanda who have entire limbs replaced with Vibranium so your few vertebrae and surrounding tissue are hardly impressive. No,” Dr. Strange’s hand tightened on Everett’s shoulder, “whatever it is that compelled her to pick you is because it </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be you. It couldn't have been anyone else on the planet which makes you the single most important person alive.” Dr. Strange’s conviction was palpable, “And I will do everything in my power to keep you that way.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After only a day, Stephen realized one of the biggest threats to Everett’s safety was both the man and child themselves as they grew increasingly bored and agitated staying ‘under house arrest’. Everett and Vira were as desperate to leave the Sanctum as Stephen was to keep them there and, initially, Stephen thought Vira’s restlessness, from being confined to such a small area after wandering the cosmos for eons, was affecting Everett. However; once the workaholic Commander came to terms with his situation and decided he would pass the time productively, by working remotely, Stephen realized they were feeding off each other in an utterly uncooperative manner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Stephen was reminded of the fact that he had told the CIA what happened in Central Park after they had seen him whisk an unconscious Everett away through a portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you playing at?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked up from his book just as Everett barged into his library, “I’m not sure I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What made you think it was a good idea to tell the CIA I’d been compromised?” Everett wasn’t tall but with Stephen sitting and Everett’s surprisingly forceful presence he </span>
  <em>
    <span>loomed</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinked and frowned slightly just before remembering, “Ah, the phone call. Yes, well, I didn’t say you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>compromised-</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might as well have when you told them a creature had taken up residence in my body!” Everett interrupted with increasing volume.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen closed the book with a sigh, “I am not about to divulge the true nature of Vira to the US Government, or anyone outside The Sanctum for that matter. However, I did need a plausible reason to explain why I didn't return you to your people when you were attacked; it seemed a wise choice“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett was livid, “And in all your infinite </span>
  <em>
    <span>wisdom </span>
  </em>
  <span>you decided to tell them I had been taken over by a fucking alien?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We both know that isn’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They don’t know that!” Everett snarled, “Do you have any idea what type of clearance I had? The things I know; operatives and operations that I had access to. You’ve just made me a very dangerous security risk. Do you know what the CIA does once risks are deemed too big? </span>
  <em>
    <span>They eliminate them</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Everett snorted without a hint of amusement, “They’re already weighing their options of </span>
  <em>
    <span>taking care of me</span>
  </em>
  <span> against the likelihood of pissing you off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen set his jaw, “They will find that guaranteed if they try anything. Though none of them will get anywhere near you without my consent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t keep me locked up here like some princess in a tower,” Everett hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t see why not.” Stephen moved the book on his lap to the small table beside him with a flick of his wrist. Getting to his feet, Stephen decided to use his natural height to try and de-escalate Everett’s growing unrest, “I believe I could play a very convincing dragon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay here.” Stephen finished for him. “I cannot and will not risk your safety just so you can write reports, make phone calls and send interdepartmental memos deciding which sleeper agents need activation to handle a new cell of insurgents on the other side of the planet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett bristled, “What if I want to still have a life </span>
  <em>
    <span>after </span>
  </em>
  <span>this whole mess? You don't stop being on the CIA’s list just because the alien left. In their eyes I’ve already proven I couldn’t go through with killing myself when I became compromised which means I can’t be trusted to do what needs to be done if something more human gets their hands on me. If a spook can't be trusted to die then they can’t be allowed to live.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen lost whatever air was filling his sails at Everett’s honesty, “What would you have me do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett visibly relaxed. Not a lot, most certainly not enough for Stephen to let down his guard, but enough that the room wasn’t at risk of combustion should one of their teeth grind together in just the right way. “Take me in and you explain that I’m still me even with this,” He waved a hand at his heart, “glow worm in my chest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s lips tightened into a line, “I can’t let you leave The Sanctum, yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s tone betrayed his rising anger, “If you can’t protect me in an office building full of humans armed with some handguns I’m going to walk there myself because what good is being stuck here under your all-seeing-eyes if you can't stop a bullet through my head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Insulted, Stephen’s nostrils flared, “Because, unless you want to be encased in a thick bubble of magical energy when we go to plead your case of ‘Everything-Is-Fine’ you’re not leaving the extensive network of protective enchantments in The Sanctum Sanctorum. However, if you don’t mind that one requirement then just a moment while I get my ring and open a portal directly into your superintendent’s office.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett crossed his arms, “Or you could just skip that first part and start the plan at the portal bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett opened his mouth to retort with something particularly scathing, Stephen knew, but the man quickly snapped his mouth shut, about-faced and marched out of the room. Vira scampered after him, obviously eavesdropping from the other side of the doorway. Stephen watched his Cloak of Levitation trail after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen scratched at the end of his eyebrow before moving to a bookshelf in search of that book of white magic he was sure Wong had dropped off last month at his request. Alternatives. He needed an alternative method of providing magical and mundane protection because it would appear Everett was already itching to get out and it's barely been thirty hours. Weren’t CIA Agents supposed to be more… reserved?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was when Stephen had finished looking through his books and was ready to seek out Everett to see which of the adequate methods of protection would meet his arbitrary restrictions that he realized he also needed a way to track them. He had only been able to know Vira’s location because the Cloak had been assigned to watch over her while she explored but now he realized he couldn't sense any of them in the Sanctum. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen tried not to panic as he should have been immediately alerted at any attempts to leave the Sanctum. The door alone was sealed with magic he had intended to prevent anyone but who he deemed appropriate to enter or leave but, if he was honest with himself, he was unsure of how effective that would be in the face of Vira. Human body of her own or residing inside Everett’s, Stephen wasn’t sure now how potent his spells actually would be in confining them if she - they - truly wanted out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen scratched a couple options off his mental list as they wouldn’t facilitate a tracking charm mixed in before setting off in search of his… guests?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finally found them in the small den downstairs; Everett looking at the television while Vira dozed in his lap with the cloak draped over the both of them on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s gaze flickered to him before returning to glare at the screen, “Are you done primping? Can we go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen huffed before moving to take a seat in the armchair on the other side of the coffee table. “I’ve come up with three options that will provide you with the appropriate level of protection to survive unexpected attacks until I am able to rescue you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One stormy blue eye twitched, “Only coming up with three options seems a bit disappointing for The Sorcerer Supreme.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen bristled, “If protection was all I needed to provide there would be more variety but I need to include a method of tracking you.” Stephen looked at the sleeping girl-creature in Everett’s lap, “The nature of her obscuring both of us from scrying removes a lot of my normal methods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s forehead wrinkled, “I can understand not being able to scry me, what with the Glow Worm inside me, but what’s blocking </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen nodded at the sleeping girl, “Whatever she does to keep her true form unseen is also affecting the human form she created using both of us. I think I’m simply falling under that umbrella effect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen met Everett’s hard gaze, “It isn’t like I’ve had to deal with this exact situation before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett sighed, closing his eyes to let the creases of his forehead smooth out, “Alright, alright, sorry. I guess it doesn't matter what’s really the reason since that’s reasonable enough and it’s not like I know anything about your magic or </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be able to dispute it.” He opened them, “What’s my first choice?””</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Engraving magically infused runes onto your body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett flinched, rearing his head back with a frown and a twisting neck, “What, like, a tattoo?” Stephen nodded and Everett continued, “Where and what would this tattoo be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would be considerable in both size and complexity as it needs to protect every inch of you from strong magical attacks and injuries from more mundane sources.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like a bullet.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or a bomb,” Stephen added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would it be permanent?” Everett asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen rose and let fall one shoulder, “Only so long as the magic is effective. It will dissipate over time and I would need to constantly renew and re-infuse it but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett interrupted him, “Would it be visible?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched the muscle jumping in the man’s jaw and swallowed, “I need make the runes thick and heavy with magic, so-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much is ‘every inch’?” Everett asked through clenched teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen wouldn’t meet Everett’s gaze, “I would need to shave your head-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was about to argue but Everett cut him off, “I’d rather wade through the world in magic bubble wrap than have scrawling symbols all over me. Or lose whatever hair God’s decided to graciously hold himself back from taking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s lips twitched, “I think that would be the best-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t want to have to spend, potentially, the rest of my life confined to this building unless you escort me around but you said you had three options for me to choose so I’m damn well going to take a look at each poison before I decide on which one I have to suffer.” He widened his eyes with a tilt of his head and lifted two of his fingers in a V, “Option number two, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen sighed, “This one I still need to finalize more but it would be a combination of both a physical object I can enchant with protective magic you can wear and a tether I attach to your soul.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett glared, “You’re cruisin’ if you think I’m going to tolerate a leash tied around my soul.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen flicked a hand out absently, “Think of it more like a lifeline than a leash. I need a way to track you as my scrying doesn’t work on either you or Vira. How do you expect me to be able to find you if you’re kidnapped?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett grinned, “Follow the trail of bodies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, “If you expect me to allow you to leave the safety of the Sanctum I need to be able to appear at your side at a moment’s notice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you, I’m not some damsel in distress.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His pale eyes settled back onto Everett’s and he continued on as if Everett hadn’t snapped at him, “The item itself would take considerable time to create and enchant to meet my expectations. The true issue with the plan lies with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>tether. </span>
  </em>
  <span>While it would not be visible outside of the Astral Plane it can be easily severed by someone who has access to it. It’s difficult to protect something that can stretch to span the universe and it would only act as a means of breadcrumbs to find you. I can’t send magic through it to help you so that’s why you would need something separate on your person that could provide the protection you’d need until I arrive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched Everett’s lips undulate as his tongue ran over his front teeth, mulling over the second option. “Doesn’t seem very reliable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen nodded, “It’s far from ideal and there is a lot that can go wrong with such a system. As I said, the tether is quite visible and extremely vulnerable to anyone who has the means to simply interact with it. I’ll be able to feel when it breaks but unless I’m actively monitoring every mile of it I won't be able to prevent someone from doing so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the enchanted object?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen rolled his jaw, “The problem with magical items is that their effectiveness is limited by their material attributes more so than the spells cast on them. The more potent or catch-all the spells, the more demanding on the physical characteristics of the object.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meaning, what, I’ll need to be decked out in gold?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen snorted, “Hardly. Platinum would be the bare minimum base material that could withstand the density of magic I would imbue into it. In fact I was leaning more towards the remains of a star core though I haven't quite determined how to get a hold of such a thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stared at him, slack jawed, “The core of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>star</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shrugged, “That would be best if I wanted to maximize its life-expectancy while minimizing the size of the final product. As it stands I have no clue how to go about collecting or working with such a material so I think Vibranium would be the better choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much would you need?” Everett looked a bit pale, and even Stephen mentally cringed at the figure he was about to give.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“An amount no less than is sufficient to cover you in it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen saw the back of Everett’s throat for the second time in a very short amount of it and wondered why a CIA Agent was so expressive. “You can’t be serious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen sat a little straighter, “If I have anything less then I will need to begin whittling down the charms and wards I can fit into the garment and I won’t compromise your safety.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might be Friend of Wakanda but being the friend of a nation is a pretty big step </span>
  <em>
    <span>below </span>
  </em>
  <span>King. T’Challa is the only one with a full suit of Vibranium and that’s been passed down from each King to the next; there’s no way I can ask for that much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen rolled his eyes, “Have you tried?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With pursed lips, Stephen brought himself to his full height in the chair, “The final option is soul binding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett swallowed, “That sounds permanent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s eyebrows turned inward, “It is so far beyond permanent that one could classify it as transcendent. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Multiversal</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Multiversal,” Everett repeated and looked off to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched Everett’s expression, “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Concerned, Everett’s eyes met Stephen’s, “That doesn’t sound pleasant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira shifted in Everett’s lap with a discontented grumble and Stephen watched as Everett adjusted both himself and the cloak to better accommodate her movement. “There are two variations of binding; however, I would only advise one version as I cannot risk using Vira’s energy unknowingly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means I would allow my soul to bind to yours instead of binding yours to mine.” Stephen placed both of his hands together in front of his face, “Such a binding is very one sided towards the one who takes in a portion of the other’s soul. It leaves them rich while the other is left wanting. You wouldn’t gain the ability to use my magic, only because you aren't trained on how to harness it to make it your own, but I could force my magic into you; providing you with enough protection to last until I can reach you. And the hole left vacant by the portion of my soul taken by yours would allow me to be able to find you </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t seem very fair to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fairness is irrelevant when it concerns the continuation of </span>
  <span>Life</span>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stared down at the girl in his lap, finding that he had begun stroking her hair without conscious thought. “What’s the other type?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen stilled as he searched Everett’s expression, “You needn’t feel guilty-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett jerked his head up and locked eyes with his, “I’m not some piece of shit who’d just take part of your soul without giving you a part of mine in return. You said it yourself: she picked me, for some fucking reason beyond either of us, and I can’t think of a single person who I would trust to be able to protect the both of us from God knows what. At least this way I would have proof of relation to the Sorcerer Supreme.” Everett snorted, “Although the fact we have a child together, which sounds fucking crazy when I say it out loud, ruins any chance either of us can deny significant involvement with each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s face softened and his voice went quiet, “There is a mutual soul binding where we both give and take a portion of the other’s soul. How much we can exchange depends on how compatible we are but the benefits and strength of the bond increase the more we can give each other. The risks as well, obviously.” Stephen looked towards the television, only now realizing it had never been on, “I would be able to utilize the nature of the bond much more than you would, as magic isn’t something you’re capable of but, by its nature, you would not be at any disadvantage just because you couldn’t actively use every benefit it provides.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen tracked Everett’s tongue as it pressed against the inside of his mouth, “Is it easy to do? How long would it take to complete this binding?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen darted his gaze back to Everett’s, “Traditional methods would take considerable time and preparation but, luckily, I’m familiar with the Astral Plane and know a few shortcuts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright...:” Everett started bouncing his knee before realizing he was disturbing Vira. He quickly stopped, soothed her murmurs until she dozed off again and sighed. “Alright. So,” He drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch twice before ticking off, “I can either have magical tattoos running from head to toe, let you roll me around in a bubble, be leashed like an animal and jeopardize my friendship with T’Challa - who would deny my request for so much Vibranium, by the way, no matter how much I may have tried to bribe Vira with earlier - or I can bind my soul to a guy who’s all but sworn his life to make sure I keep mine.” Everett slid a glance toward the man in question, “Doesn’t seem like much of a contest, really.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You needn’t bind yourself-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it was more than permanent and yet here you are, suggesting it all the same.” Everett stared at him, “If I’m willing to give my life in service to my county why do you think I wouldn’t give it up to save the planet - shit - the universe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen leaned forward in his chair, urging Everett with wild gestures of his hands for the man to understand, “We’re talking about binding </span>
  <em>
    <span>souls</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Everett. Souls never cease existing, they simply go someplace else when they can no longer stay attached to the material plane. Whether you believe in heaven or hell, reincarnation or limbo, what you’ve decided on doing will transcend any and all places our souls go after our bodies die.” Stephen held Everett’s gaze, “This choice very well could ripple into other universes, what we do to our souls here could affect other versions of ourselves in ways we have no way of knowing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will I ever meet the other universes’ me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinked, “Most likely not-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then fuck ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everett-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Stephen</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Everett’s first use of Stephen’s name rendered him speechless, “You were prepared to risk binding yourself to me without expecting anything in return, all to protect me. To protect Earth. Life. Probably a bit selfish of me but, maybe,” Everett’s smile turned wicked, “being soul bonded to the Sorcerer Supreme might even include some nice perks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen couldn’t, wouldn’t, stop the smile from slowly dominating his face. “Perhaps.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This wasn’t how he had intended to spend a Friday evening. Ask him at any point in his life if he had expected to spend this (or any other day really) Friday night setting up to mutually bind his soul to a man he’d known for under forty-eight hours Stephen was sure he would have, at the very least, said no. </p>
<p>And yet, here he was doing just that.</p>
<p>“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do? It seems kind of… odd there isn’t anything I’m supposed to be doing on my end.”</p>
<p>Stephen looked up from the final candle he was placing onto the last vacant surface at the shorter blonde man standing at attention in the center of his bedroom. “These aren’t a part of the ritual.”</p>
<p>Everett frowned as he watched Stephen casually wave a hand, igniting every wick. “Then what’s the point of them?”</p>
<p>Stephen approached Everett in three strides, “Setting the mood.”</p>
<p>“The mood?” Everett’s dark eyes watched his; flickering from the dozens of flames around them.</p>
<p>“Ambiance.” Stephen circled around Everett.</p>
<p>“Is this-” Stephen heard Everett’s tongue snag on a small dried part of his lips as it ran over them, “some kind of Feng Shui thing?”</p>
<p>“No.” Stephen smirked as he settled directly behind Everett. Attuning himself to Everett was easy enough; it was Everett who needed all of this extra help in order to get him to the proper frequency so that they would be able to Bond. Seeking immediate results meant something could very easily, and very quickly, spiral out of his control if he didn’t do this right the first time. Stephen was certain they wouldn’t be given another chance considering the amount of strain a Soul Bond put onto one that hadn’t been allowed the time to temper properly. He fixed his eyes on the exact point where the Crown Chakra was located in Everett’s body. “Feng Shui is to allow for an unobstructed path for Chi to flow through and around an area.” Stephen traveled down to the Third Eye and Throat Chakras. “We are not trying to do that.”</p>
<p>“What <em>are</em> we trying to do then?” Stephen heard Everett’s voice roughening. In response to what he wasn’t sure, as he hadn’t touched him yet, but he was surprised how pleasing the sound was to him.</p>
<p>Stephen skimmed over where Everett’s Heart Chakra should have been, he didn’t want to spook the creature resting nearby by probing too much, and searched for what he knew was just below Everett’s Solar Plexus… </p>
<p>“Ah, there it is.” Stephen’s eyes widened as they settled on the small (really very small) flickering yellow and indigo light just behind his belly button. He shouldn’t have been surprised Everett’s core was so tiny as the man had probably never spent a single moment of his life accumulating and refining the energies from the world around him. Not that Everett wouldn’t have been able to, from what Stephen could see of his chakras and inner pathways, but they didn’t have time for that and so Stephen was going to have to facilitate the process.</p>
<p>“There what is?”</p>
<p>Stephen didn’t move his eyes away from the core when Everett spoke, he had to find Everett’s final pillar chakra. His core clearly showed the other two, the Third Eye and Solar Plexus, but the flickering, when it should have been an easy transition through the man’s three pillar colors, meant the other was being severely blocked. Blocked to the point of complete and total denial of access to Everett’s core. Stephen hadn’t encountered any blockages or damage to anything on the way to the core and so that only left the Sacral and Root Chakras to check. </p>
<p>Keeping track of how far down the core was, Stephen placed the palm of his hand onto the small of Everett’s back and held it there as he circled around to the front. Eyes locked onto the point well below Everett’s belly button, Stephen saw the sudden strong pulse and flare of the orange light of the Sacral Chakra and quickly checked for a reaction from Everett’s core.</p>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>Disappointed that it hadn't been the one, Stephen looped back around to locate Everett’s Root Chakra just at the base of his spine. With no other prime chakras left, and no blockages or obvious reasons to not be able to see third and final color, this one had to be it.</p>
<p>But it was perfectly fine.</p>
<p>No obstructions, no cracks, no misalignment; the prime chakra was pristine and should have been able to make itself visible when Stephen had located the core earlier. Just to make sure he wasn’t delusional, Stephen checked Everett's core again, and, again, it had the same strong yellow and indigo lights in between the flicker of <em>nothing</em>. Stephen ground his teeth, having only two pillar chakras wasn’t unusual, just not likely based on who Everett was appearing to be as a person. </p>
<p>One was unusual, but not rare, as those with only one chakra dominating their entire being were very polarizing and at constant risk of becoming destructively unstable. They would have the greatest highs but also suffer the greatest lows if their core was ever blocked from their sole pillar. Two, on the other hand was manageable, and relatively common for the vast majority of the world. Many people were either/or, yes/no, black/white. It was less complex, demanded less of a soul and left the individuals easily content to exist and get through with their lives so long as at least one of their two pillars were satisfied and clear.</p>
<p>But Stephen suspected; no, <em>knew</em>, Everett’s wasn’t merely a two pillar soul. He was a man who had worked his way into a position of relative power and respect in the CIA. Had become friends with an entire nation where no one else had been or even knew existed. Was able to understand and accept his current situation and want to actively participate in handling it instead of leaving it to someone much more, realistically, capable of doing so. That screamed of someone who had a rare, stable soul. Someone who was, at the very least, a three pillar. </p>
<p>Stephen hissed quietly, “This isn’t right. What am I not seeing?” Stephen’s eyes latched onto Everett’s core as he saw it nearly wink out completely before the yellow and indigo returned. </p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>Stephen looked up and met Everett’s one eye when he twisted around in a futile gesture to see what Stephen was looking at. There was worry there behind that candle-lit blue eye, insecurity-</p>
<p>Stephen sucked in a breath and roughly turned Everett around to face him with both of his hands on Everett’s shoulders. Stephen honed in on the man’s Heart Chakra, the one he hadn’t looked at at all because he hadn’t wanted to risk disturbing Vira (the creature), and saw it.</p>
<p>Wrapped full and tight around the exact point of Everett’s Heart Chakra, which should have been glowing a brilliant green, was the little ‘Glow Worm’ Vira. Stephen smiled, rueful but unable to stop the tiniest bit of relief from slipping through as well, “Nothing, now, sorry.” He would need to get Vira off Everett’s Heart Chakra if this binding was going to work. Perhaps not all the way, he wasn’t sure if he could even manage to convince her to do more than loosen her hold on him a bit, but he should be able slip through with a small tendril of his own energy in order to exchange enough for the bond. </p>
<p>He’s supposed to go in order, from lowest to high, but he wasn’t sure how long it’d take to finish binding their Third Eyes (let alone the Crown). That was the furthest pillar chakra and Everett wouldn’t be able to help make that part of the bonding quicker and Stephen didn’t want to risk Vira getting upset or unwilling to stay off Everett’s Heart Chakra for as long as he might need. Everett’s core needed to be able to sense Stephen’s chakra energy in each of his prime chakras at once for the soul bind to work.</p>
<p>Right then, he’ll have to go considerably more out of order than is advisable but that's exactly what it was: advice <em>not</em> rule. He - they - could do this.</p>
<p>Stephen’s right hand slid up to cradle the back of Everett’s head, tilting it upwards, while dropping his left hand down Everett’s back, twisting and splaying fingers so that the thumb rested directly behind the Heart Chakra and his fourth finger the Solar Plexus.</p>
<p>Startled and confused, Everett frowned, causing several wrinkles on his forehead where Stephen was planning to rest his. Everett’s tongue swept over his lips just after he darted his gaze to Stephen’s, “What’re you doing?”</p>
<p>Stephen relished the vibration he felt from Everett’s plummeted voice through his right hand as they locked eyes, “Move your hands to mirror mine. Right hand on the base of my skull, tilting my head down so my forehead rests against yours while maintaining eye contact.” Everett complied, unsure at first, the slight tremor tickling the hairs on the nape of Stephen’s neck before settling into a firm hold. Stephen mentally patted himself on the back for suppressing the shudder, though he wasn’t exactly sure why Everett’s touch was affecting him like that- this method was explicitly supposed to circumvent the sexual aspects of Mutual Soul Binding. “Good,” Stephen made a soft sound to loosen the tightness that had suddenly begun to close in on his larynx. “Now the other hand. Move it so that your thumb is touching the vertebrae directly across from where my heart is and then extend your little finger further down in a straight line from your thumb until I tell you to stop.”</p>
<p>Everett nodded, reaching around and positioning his thumb just where he was told. The trepidation in Everett’s touch as his pinkie lightly slipped down his spine had highlighted the tightness in his own Solar Plexus. There was something swirling through his pathways causing disorientating sensations between his chakras and Stephen barely had a moment to realize it was anticipation before he was helplessly throwing his head back in a silent cry and pulling Everett’s body firmly to his. </p>
<p>Their bodies slotted perfectly; hips, stomach, diaphragm, sternum and every chakra in between and Stephen reeled at the overload of sensation. Too much, they fit <em>so well</em> together.</p>
<p>“Shit, shit, I didn’t- I didn’t do anything? Did I do something wrong?” Everett’s voice was lilting and hoarse but Stephen knew, <em>knew</em>, it wasn’t out of fear or worry but of anticipation as well. How could this have happened? Stephen knew he would have to tune himself to each of Everett’s prime chakras, as the CIA Agent would not know how to do that to meet Stephen half way but he hadn’t expected the resulting harmony to affect him this much. Stephen knew he would be more sensitive than Everett; one couldn’t have complete mastery and control of each of their prime chakras without being wholly aware of every one of them. But this…</p>
<p>
  <em>This.</em>
</p>
<p>Stephen felt the hands on his spine and the back of his head begin to slip as he felt the man’s body shift to pull away and Stephen immediately crushed Everett tighter against him. “Don’t,” Stephen said through clenched teeth and fiercely tight eyelids. He was still facing the ceiling, long pale neck fully extended and straining as he very nearly pleaded, “Don’t pull back. Don’t break the link. Don’t.”</p>
<p>“Al- Alright,” Everett’s response was unsteady but his hands had reaffirmed and solidified their places on him and Stephen felt like weeping.</p>
<p>Stephen forced his breathing to slow because he was feeling bits of his energy start to travel and condense in his lungs in preparation to transfer through his breath. He couldn’t risk Everett’s minuscule amount of energy begin to wantonly spill from his body, as the untrained would have next to no hope of controlling or stemming the flow, and so he had to get this underway otherwise it’ll only get more taxing the longer they hesitated. Keeping his eyes shut, Stephen lowered his head so he could bring their foreheads together in just the right way so that once he opened his eyes he would immediately finalize their connection and the soul binding would begin without prompting or refusal from either of them until it was either complete, or failed. </p>
<p>Which would not happen because it <em>could not</em> happen.</p>
<p>“Everett,” Stephen licked his lips, monstrously difficult now that his tongue was weighted and heavy in his mouth from the barely contained energy pressing in trying to force its way out, “There are three things you need to never stop doing once I open my eyes.” </p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“Never move away from me. We need to keep our bodies physically connected precisely like this throughout the whole binding.”</p>
<p>Stephen heard the click in the back of Everett’s throat as he swallowed; felt the pull and flex of the muscles of the man’s neck just below his hands. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“Next, and this is very important, you must alternate your breath with mine. Every time I inhale you need to be exhaling and every time I exhale you need to inhale. I will be doing the majority of the guiding of our cores to bond properly because you simply don’t have the expertise and neither of us have the time to teach you how to manipulate your core. All of our energy will transfer through our breath, as that is the easiest way for energy to move into and out of the body. I need you to match mine no matter what so I can make sure yours is reacting and condensing properly.”</p>
<p>Stephen felt the tug of the skin on both of their foreheads; the whispering of the tips of their noses as Everett nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“And finally,” Stephen splayed the fingers on the back of Everett’s head out, seeking more of the blonde hair between them, under them, “you must trust and think only of <strong><em>me</em></strong>.”</p>
<p>Stephen’s eyes shot open, pale and potent as that final word left his mouth on a burst of energy he had been slowly weakening the restraints of since he started telling Everett the three golden rules. And, wonderful man that he was, Everett reacted exactly as Stephen had instructed, taking in the whole breath, and every drop of energy Stephen carried with it, in one shocked gasp that brought everything Stephen gave him deep to the capillaries of his lungs.</p>
<p>
  <em>Perfect.</em>
</p>
<p>Stephen felt a pleasant murmur from the back of his throat from his relieved Throat Chakra and Stephen didn’t think Everett was aware of the smaller whimper he had made in response. Stephen knew forcing so much of his own energy directly through Everett's body, bypassing the weaker Throat that would have had no hope of stopping him from reaching as deep as Stephen wanted, would cause the man discomfort, but it had to be done. </p>
<p>Stephen needed to clear out the build-up around his own Throat, of the barely contained energy that had been clawing at the back of his teeth for release, so that when Everett’s less sure energy finally found its way into his own body it wouldn’t have to fight through an impenetrable blockage. </p>
<p>He also needed to get Everett’s body aware and used to his presence. No love, romantic or otherwise, had been able to naturally form between them yet. Their time together has not been long enough to set the foundation Stephen was now hastily, and quite forcibly, laying inside Everett’s body. And Everett was not someone well versed, or any versed, in the arts and so he had no way of helping to ease this expedited mutual soul binding. Which is quite possibly the most ludicrous thing he has ever done. This whole process occurring naturally would take lifetimes, or span multiple universes in synchronous or-</p>
<p>A strained intake of breath from Everett brought Stephen back around to where he had been foolishly questioning their risky forcing of binding themselves to each other just in time to see Everett’s lungs struggling to expand enough to take in more of him. Stephen’s forefinger on Everett’s back curled in as he berated himself for letting his attention wander. Everett wouldn’t be able to support as much energy as Stephen had hoped to accumulate in his lungs before forcing it throughout Everett’s body all at once. He wanted the acclamation to be quick, if more stressful for both of them, because Stephen wasn’t sure how long Vira would allow his energy to be floating around where only Everett’s should have been. </p>
<p>Hopefully Vira would sense he meant no harm.</p>
<p>Stephen pushed what energy he had been hoarding inside Everett throughout the man’s body and the responding groan and shudder startled Stephen nearly as much as the first word Everett rushed out with every exhale.</p>
<p>“Stephen.” In. “I...That.”</p>
<p>“Hush, Everett.” Stephen crooned, stroking fingers against Everett’s back. Inhale. “I’m sorry, that.” In. “Was my fault.”</p>
<p>A tentative upturn of Everett’s lips formed as he inhaled. “Just warn a guy.” In. “Next time.”</p>
<p>Stephen gave a clearer one of his own before returning his focus back to his energy in Everett’s body. </p>
<p>He traveled down to Everett’s Root, needing to be sure he could build off of it without risk of collapsing under the weight of Stephen’s energies as he ascended to the other chakras. He was pleased, practically speechless if he was honest with himself, to find the energies he had pushed through Everett’s pathways had slipped and slotted together with Everett’s as smoothly as their bodies had. He felt a flutter in his Sacral at the idea of them being compatible enough for that to happen and, unable to risk smothering the sensation due to potentially interfering with their binding, he revelled in it. The chances of them having resonating souls was tiny, minuscule, but heady in its implications. </p>
<p>If they resonated then this mutual soul binding just became one of the most important undertakings Stephen will have ever undertaken.</p>
<p>Perhaps, even selfishly, <em>the</em>.</p>
<p>“Everett.” Stephen tightened his hold on the man against him.</p>
<p>The man nodded. “Ready.”</p>
<p>Stephen could kiss him.</p>
<p>He tested the outer shell of Everett’s Root only once before enveloping it, piercing it, and scooping out a portion of it to be filled with the Root energy he had already done the same with from his own chakra and had been waiting inside Everett in preparation. All of it happened in one breath cycle, it needed to, and the portion of Everett’s loose Root pulled out of him was carried with the speed and confidence befitting someone to become the Sorcerer Supreme and put into Stephen’s own gaping chakra.</p>
<p>Stephen was prepared to handle the effects of a compromised Root, but Everett was not ready for the sudden loss of stability. Everett leaned heavily against Stephen and if their bodies’ positions hadn’t been so centered and grounded, dependent, on the other Stephen was sure their connection would have been severed and both of their Roots damaged. But, thankfully, Everett kept his hands firm and his breath in sync with Stephen’s, letting both of them finish incorporating the other’s energies into their own chakras.</p>
<p>Impressed, Stephen’s eyes crinkled. “One down.” In. “Six to go.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stephen approached the transfer of their Sacral Chakras with more delicacy than he would have thought required before they’d begun, and their synchronization made quite evident. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being comfortably celibate since his training, the majority of Stephen’s self-worth was from his creativity, both when he was a neurosurgeon tackling only the most difficult of patients and when he uses his magical knowledge to combat cosmically unusual problems. However; Everett was a man, a healthy man, and his self-worth was influenced by his confidence in his sexuality. While not a pillar, his was a strong prime chakra that indicated he took considerable pride in that part of himself even without directly training it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The resulting sounds from both of them, Everett’s a contented sigh to Stephen’s strained groan, was more than enough to confirm Stephen’s suspicions: once they finished coalescing their Sacrals both of them would feel the pull to seek out pleasure from the other. Everett would have a new appreciation for more creative pursuits, of which he would be more than ready to offer, and Stephen would no doubt feel celibacy less appealing than a week prior. Especially if Everett expressed interest in involving himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>During their lull, where Stephen let his body incorporate the piece of Everett’s Sacral on its own while focusing on ensuring his merged with Everett’s without issue, one of Everett's fingers began to press and rub little circles into his back. Stephen felt the skin over his spine and up to the top of his scalp tighten at the touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any chance.” In. “The others will be.” In. “Like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Afraid not.” Stephen felt a powerful flare of satisfaction from Everett’s openly satiated look. He hadn’t done anything to intentionally bring about that expression but Stephen couldn’t deny the appeal of indulging Everett in order to keep it there. In. “But, perhaps, later.” In. “After.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next chakra was the Solar Plexus, and the first of both Everett’s and Stephen’s pillar chakras. While Everett had three, Stephen was one of the exceedingly few individuals who possessed a cardinal soul, a four pillar soul. The fact that they shared three hadn’t escaped Stephen’s attention as a likely reason they resonated so strongly with each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cardinal souls had unparalleled potential but were extremely difficult to keep balanced. If any one chakra outgrew the others it would lead to easy blockages, misalignment and stunted growth of the furthest behind which, if not remedied, could become irrevocable. But when maintained, a cardinal soul was, always, destined for greatness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shivered when he removed a portion of his own Solar Plexus but it wasn’t until he had sent it over into Everett’s body that he shuddered; a full body convulsion that startled both of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen felt the pinkie Everett kept parallel to his Solar Plexus burn hot through his tunic and against his skin. He wasn’t sure if Everett was aware, but he could tell by the increased pressure as it dug further into his spine, that the other man felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Once Stephen’s portion was waiting just beside Everett’s, “This one.” In. “Might be.” In. “Unpleasant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an intensity that settled in Everett’s eyes at his warning and Stephen wondered if that was the last thing seen by less fortunate men. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen tested the outer shell several times, and was about to test it again before he realized he was already suffering the loss of his self-confidence from the missing chunk of his pillar. On the next touch he forced himself to breach the chakra and swap his awaiting for Everett’s freshly removed. Stephen barely felt a tremor from the man in his arms but once Everett’s piece of Solar Plexus was safely poured into his own, he was wracked by a new wave of spams at the sudden fullness rippled through his pathways, directly to his core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen.” In. “Don’t fall apart on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s voice was thick with concern and the words were shoved out in a rush. Stephen forced his body to calm, a sheen of sweat settling along his spine and scalp. Everett had to have noticed the clammy slick and Stephen tried to soothe the growing tension from Everett’s body by mimicking the circles made into his back earlier. “I’m alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nearly panting, Stephen smirked, “We disrupted.” In. “A pillar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched the frown appear on Everett’s face. “I barely felt it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s.” In. “The idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was sure that look withered many airmen. “Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is.” In. “What you chose.” In. “We’ve long since passed.” In. “The point of regret.” In. “We don’t stop until.” In. “We’re done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop being selfish.” In. “And let me help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you expect to be of help?” Stephen blurted in one breath. “I’ve never done this before.” In “And you’ve no experience in any of this.” In. “I can’t risk you.” Stephen ground their foreheads together, pleading across their shared gaze. “So, please, Everett.” In. “Trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s anger evaporated but the frustration still clung to him. “Alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Incorporating Everett’s piece of Solar Plexus into his own was far more time consuming than Stephen would have liked. That gap in connection to his core had left him stricken with longing he hadn’t expected to be so potent. It was only after he had taken in Everett’s that he was able to sense the difference. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what a parasitic soul binding would have been like. Except he would have done it to all of his chakras, just to be sure the bond was as strong and sure as a parasitic one could be. Stephen suppressed a shiver, what kind of person would he have turned into? What fraction of himself would have been left? Would he have even been able to protect Everett and Vira in that lessened state? Stephen didn’t know, and he was afraid to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s choice to mutually soul bind may indeed have been the right one in the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their Throat Chakras were no more of an issue than their Roots had been. Though Everett did complain of difficulty breathing which, in turn, had made the safe transfer of Everett’s portion back into Stephen’s a bit nerve wracking. Their united Throats was the perfect boost to their energy transference Stephen was quietly fretting over for the two high chakras: The Third Eye and Crown. The Third Eye because that was to be their second pillar and the Crown because it was Stephen’s fourth and he wasn’t sure how Everett would handle the incorporation of a pillar chakra into his non-pillar chakra.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The books had only stressed the importance of both individuals being sure of their love for one another and Stephen mentally cringed at the complete disregard they were having for the ancient texts. He was absolutely sure that if they hadn’t had such resonance, and three mirrored pillars, this would have been a disaster nearly the moment they’d started. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This will be.” In. “The second pillar.” Stephen felt Everett tense and adjust his stance as if ready to hold </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>together and he desperately hoped Everett wasn’t able to sense the fluttering in his Sacral. “Disrupting the Third Eye.” In. “Risks distraction.” In. “If I lose myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll bring you back.” Everett immediately responded on his exhale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen would kiss him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He double checked both of their Eyes’ alignments, flexing his fingers and rubbing their foreheads together to ensure it, before taking a portion of his chakra and sending it over to Everett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They really should have gone into more detail about this whole procedure. Offer theories, alternatives, etc. for the unorthodox ways to perform the mutual binding. They were supposed to send the Third Eye’s energy through their physical eyes instead of using their breath, but Stephen didn’t trust Everett to be able to transfer his energy back along that route. A Sorcerer Supreme to be without a full Third Eye…unimaginable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Stephen’s portion of Third Eye arrived beside Everett’s, he pierced it. Pulling out at the same time as shoving in his to fill the void left behind, he had to make sure there was as little disruption amongst Everett’s pathways as possible. There was no telling how much Vira sensed what was happening inside Everett and, while she hadn’t shown much response to anything they’d done so far, the longer it took the more likely she may. It had already been over two hours and though his cloak was keeping human Vira preoccupied, there was no way to predict if she may barge in and discover them. His wards may not affect Creature Vira but Human Vira at least respected them. Whether that meant they affected her or not was a question for another time because right now he was busy with something far more important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man in his arms, beside him, inside him, inside of. Everett existed and so too, then, did Stephen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen hissed at the scrape and pull of nails and hair on his head and blinked to find Everett looking at him with concern. He grinned. “Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen grinned wider, leaned a little closer. “Miss me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Christ.” Everett’s browns buckled as he sucked in a breath. “You’re out of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Insulted, Stephen tried to tilt both of their heads to angle their lips together. “I assure you.” Everett quickly shifted his hold on the back of Stephen’s head to keep their foreheads precisely together. Stephen tried to resist, felt the counter move to each attempt, but every time he felt himself on the cusp of success Everett was, quite forcefully, grinding their heads together to spite them. Him. “Everett.” It was nary above a growl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knock it off.” Everett was straining on his toes to keep himself from being out leveraged by Stephen’s extra inches. “You gave yours.” Getting in a single breath was hard with both of them practically grappling each other. “But I don’t think.” A harsh intake. “You took mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop resisting.” Stephen breathed in and out in frustration. In. “So I can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. That isn’t.’ Everett’s breath hitched at the sudden force of energy Stephen poured into him. “This is exactly what you said might happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Stephen’s smile revealed far too many teeth. “That I would want to take you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett swallowed and not only did Stephen hear it, he felt the muscles under his fingers flex tight with the action. A drawn out “No” following a shaky intake. “That you might lose yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hard</span>
  </em>
  <span> not to.” Stephen let the pitch of his voice drop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, you are gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen stilled, glaring. “What do you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing.” In. “I don’t know a single fucking thing, Stephen.” In. “But, Christ, you aren't yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How would you know?” Stephen nearly jams the words together in his haste to get them to where Everett can hear them. He can't understand the </span>
  <em>
    <span>rejection</span>
  </em>
  <span>, because that's what it was: Everett was rejecting him even though he knows they both feel the longing pulses between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ground each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re important to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They protect each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They understand each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They trust each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s mind stops.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinks. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s shoulders square. “You said you might lose yourself.” Out and in quickly before Stephen could try and interrupt him. “If the Third Eye was disrupted.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t know if it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>know what it is.” In. “But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>something isn’t right.” Everett shakes his head slightly, rubbing and pulling on the skin preventing their skulls from touching. “You’re the only one that can.” In. “So I’m asking you to see.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen narrows his eyes but says nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you check.” Everett’s eyes lock him down. “And everything is fine.” A beat and a breath. “I’ll yield.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skeptical. “Why?” And barely more than a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> trust you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something heavy and warm fluctuated in his core and Stephen found it easy to relent; to indulge in Everett’s request when it’s simple and the reward not. Stephen nods (nothing but a light tug on their skin) and dives straight for Everett’s Third Eye. Seeing it whole and strong Stephen barely relishes his victory because his attention is drawn to the meandering orbit of something </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everett.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“That can’t be right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Everett’s Third Eye is whole then why is a part of it adrift?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That shouldn’t be there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen jerks at Everett’s voice but doesn't come up from watching Everett’s extra piece of Third Eye as it lazily circles his perfect and whole-</span>
</p><p><span>“</span><em><span>Take it,</span></em> <em><span>Stephen</span></em><span>!”</span></p><p>
  <span>Stephen takes it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s everything he’s ever wanted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s everything he’s ever needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s everything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s body rattles once before stilling completely. The overload of his yearning Third Eye finally becoming whole nearly shuts him down. Everett’s solid form is the only thing keeping him upright and their connection in place. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s hold on him tightens. “Whatever the fuck we’re doing.” In. “You need to tell me.” In. “Right fucking now.” In. “I can’t keep watching you.” In. “Do this to yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinks, slowly regaining his senses as he tries to bring some of his weight off of the man holding him. “Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen, so help me God.” In. “If the next words out of your mouth.” in. “Aren’t ripped directly from the Wikipedia page.” In. “On mutual soul binding.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen couldn’t help it; he laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then told.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He told Everett of the nine parts that made a soul; the seven chakras, the core, and the pathways that connected them. He told him of the four types of souls. Told him of their pillars. Told him what happens when they are nurtured and when abandoned. He told him what it meant to bind them to another’s. He told Everett of the act of their binding. How it was supposed to be performed mutually, like the name suggested, but that Everett didn’t know how to control his own soul so Stephen needed to do it for him. How the ease of their chakras coalescing was offset by the stress on Stephen’s soul when he left his chakras gaping and incomplete for long enough that it filtered down through his pathways until his core was affected. And how dangerous that was for someone like him. Someone with a cardinal soul. Someone so sensitive and aware of his soul and how he had no choice because the alternative was…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To make me go without.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen nodded. His breathing had long returned to normal, even with all of his exposition. He had even returned to standing wholly by his own power, though he did miss the feel of being supported by Everett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shocked, Stephen lets several breath cycles pass between them before asking. “Excuse me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Another breath. “I’m not quite sure that I did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The anger that flared in Everett’s eyes would have been captivating if he didn’t know it was directed squarely at him. Perhaps it still was, a bit. “You’re going to do the same thing.” In. “Again.” In “For this last one aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen twitched the fingers splayed out over the back of Everett’s skull. “Technically second to last.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett chimed in immediately after taking in his words. “Whatever, not the point.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Heart will be number seven.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you let me finish?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I must.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett glared at him before continuing. “So far, you’ve been doing this completely by your own rules.” In. “Instead of how they told you to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Advised.” Stephen corrected. When Everett didn't continue. “But yes.’”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not try to do it their way for this one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Crown is the most vital chakra.” In. “I can’t risk you going comatose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t risk you, either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen bristled, ready to retort but Everett felt him tense in preparation for a fight and beat him to it. “Did you ever stop to think what’ll happen if you can’t finish this?” In. “What would have happened if you hadn’t listened to me this last time?” In. “That was a total clusterfuck, Stephen. All of it.” In. “The only reason that worked was luck, pure and simple because I sure as shit didn’t know what you were doing and what was happening or what was supposed to happen and.” Everett had to suck in a gulp to catch himself before passing out after that bombardment of words. “And you, in your arrogant, know-it-all, selfish mind.” In. “Had decided you knew best and that this</span>
  <em>
    <span> mutual</span>
  </em>
  <span> soul bind would be solely your responsibility.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen felt shame churn in his gut. “You can’t help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never even bothered letting me try!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Stephen knew that sounded petulant, childish, even, but Everett was being foolish, “In all your many years of studying the mystic arts.” In. “What is the best course of action to take when we bind our Crowns?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You take mine first.” In. “Do whatever it is you need to to finish merging them.” In. “Then bring me back the bit you took out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett groaned, or growled Stephen wasn't sure since he felt the vibration coming through their still pressed-together chests. “The Crown is your fourth pillar but it’s nothing to me but a normal chakra.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Crown isn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>lesser </span>
  </em>
  <span>simply because it isn't one of your pillars, Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not.” Everett breathed through bared teeth. “Will you get your head out of your ass for a second and</span>
  <em>
    <span> listen to me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen huffed before Everett could continue. “The Crown is special, it connects directly to all the others.” In. “There’s no telling how Vira will react to a disruption from your Crown.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck the </span>
  <em>
    <span>alien</span>
  </em>
  <span>, this is all for her sake anyway.” In. “I’m sure as shit not going to roll over and die from some</span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> after her without a fight.” Stephen couldn’t suppress the fond smile as he looked down at Everett's fierceness. “Just like the name of this crazy shit we both agreed to implied.” In. “Let me help you make sure this works. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Together</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen, helpless in the face of Everett’s honesty and not the least bit because the man was proving to be more and more impressive with each moment they spent together. “On three, move your hand up.” In. “So that your palm is pressed directly where your thumb is.” Everett nodded once and Stephen counted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In perfect choreography, their hands collapsed and slid up to seat themselves over the vertebrae aligned with their Heart chakras. The sensation of pulling his hand and fingers over Everett’s firm back to settle on the muscles between his scapula was nearly as wonderful as the feeling of Everett’s own hand doing the same over his back. Stephen’s mouth dried for the first time since they’d been exchanging moistened breaths and he felt taut in Everett’s arms. Stephen’s body’s nearly fully bound state to the other man’s had been brought to the forefront of his mind as they narrowed their bodies’ energy to focus on the last two chakra that needed binding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got you.” Stephen felt the pulse of Everett’s energy, listened to the heavy thump of his heart, before encircling Everett’s Crown to pierce it.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I changed the rating of the story due to this chapter. While it is not as... 'hot' as I have seen other stories describe the act, it is explicit in its detailing to portray the character's vulnerability.</p><p>It is a decent way down into the chapter. If you want to skip it without missing out on the other portion that concludes their soul binding, you can cease the moment it gets heated as the chapter will conclude on its end.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt the Third Eye watch him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Throat constricted around him. The energy thinned out. Too thin, perhaps, to sustain his crossing of the chasm between their lips. The violet energy that was once a confident constant had begun to wane and Stephen couldn’t help but watch it trickle instead of flow.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hurry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen ducked his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was chaste and as non-invasive as Stephen could make it; just the touching of their bottom and top lips together. Open, yes, (how would their energy transfer otherwise?) but nothing more: no tongues, no teeth, no saliva. They only needed to remove whatever amount of chance that something would go wrong in trying to bring across Everett’s piece of Crown on breath no longer as sturdy and thick as before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he ached to be invasive. To bring tongues together. To mix saliva as thoroughly as breath. To scrape at skin with teeth and chapped lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen felt a sigh, deep and long, and it poured the piece of Crown into his body from the very depths of Everett’s lungs. Surprised, Stephen whisked it into his own in a move so deft he himself couldn’t tell </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>when his Crown had ceased being only his. Only that, at some point, he became aware of Everett in a way he had never been aware of another. Though that may have also been because Everett was </span>
  <em>
    <span>decimating </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stephen’s mouth with his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett was downright greedy and Stephen told himself that it was because Everett was trying to bring back what his Crown was missing, and nothing more, but Stephen couldn’t bring himself to smother that tiny bit of hope that the sensation of themselves pressing and tasting and breathing each other sparked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen guided the offering of his Crown to Everett’s; dodging crushing lips, gnashing teeth and teasing tongues on the way. Through a Throat that was certainly leaving Everett lightheaded, past a Third Eye that was both wary and relieved at seeing him and, finally, to a Crown that languished in its incompleteness, confused and unsure of how to fix itself. He surged his energy around Everett’s Crown and poured in his portion with all the care he could. He wouldn’t allow even the smallest drop escape from where it was most vitally needed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s whole body lurched forward in time with his energy and clutched Everett closer to him as he healed both of their Crowns. There was a need, Stephen knew, to hurry with the mending so they could start on the Heart but Stephen was too far gone on Everett to worry about that right now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could this have happened? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything they had done so far, so the bond wouldn’t need to go along the expected path, seemed ineffective, pointless, futile and everything in between.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen couldn’t even scrape up enough courage to lie to himself to say that he wasn’t glad it turned out this way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt Everett’s Root tremble, the reverberation shuddering through the both of them betraying even Stephen’s own dependent stability. Their Sacrals were burning, nearly scorching if Stephen looked there too long which was unfortunate because Everett’s beautifully flickering two-tone core was pulsing right beside it. Everett’s Solar Plexus was thrumming confidently in his chest with Stephen’s matching it easily and bringing a loud, deep sound to the very tips of their hair and nails. But it wasn’t until Stephen reached for Everett’s Heart, causing his own to slam itself against his sternum, that he realized it had been foolishly brazen of himself to think he knew more than the ones who had, quite literally, written the book on binding souls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira was there, expanding and contracting along with Everett’s Heart; every ounce of green energy that should have been visible was absorbed and blocked by the creature. Stephen felt a sudden possessive wrenching in his own chest at Everett being unable to connect to his own Heart chakra. Stephen reached for areas between Vira’s wriggling form, trying to find a way to squeeze in between them, but was thwarted every time. In a move of frustration, he pressed onto the creature herself and managed to get her attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will not share, Sorcerer. I let you have the others, the six useless to me, but his Heart is mine and mine alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Its voice was jarring to him, a bright scraping noise, intolerably piercing but Stephen didn’t flinch. “You will never get what you want from him that way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira’s undulating body stilled a moment before constricting tightly. Stephen felt Everett’s body wince at the pain and peppered soothing notes in between their relaxed kissings. He returned his attention to Vira, “You want the one chakra that cannot be taken; can only be given. The child you gave him may be able to give you what you seek but Everett will still have to find it in himself to love you, the creature who attacked and stole away inside his body, before it’ll open itself to you. However, I can open that path for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira loosened slightly, and the smallest speck of green flashed between two of her tendrils. “You’ve spent less time with him than I. If you can then I can too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We both know that isn’t true.” Stephen peeked out from under his lashes, realizing both he and Everett had long since abandoned that connection as the hands that had once been holding the other’s head now alternated between caressing faces and necks. Stephen tested the edges of Vira’s coiling mass again, “You cannot deny that Everett has shown more affection for me than the girl you made of him and I.” Vira twitched. “You rely too heavily on her physical likeness to bridge the gap between the two of you. I, on the other hand,” Stephen pressed harder into Everett, rubbing just enough to create the delicious friction needed to ignite the flowing Sacral energies and cause it to blaze orange around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett moaned into his mouth, “Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t get him to stop calling my name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched the golden mass writhe, “What difference does a name make?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen smiled against Everett’s increasingly desperate lips. “How many times has he used yours?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It quivered in silence before collapsing into Everett’s Heart. Everett staggered, obviously shocked at the intensity of the abrupt constriction on his Heart and, if not for Stephen’s immediate reaction to counter it, threatened to double over and sever their connection. Everett’s helplessness against the pain had him nearly dead weight in Stephen’s arms but Stephen quickly brought both of them to the bed to make it easier to maintain their connection without worrying about Everett collapsing directly to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re hurting him!” Stephen snarled at it, catching a part of Everett’s lip between his canines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve stolen him! I will hurt him every time you are together so that he stops loving you and loves me instead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen used the pad of his thumb to wipe away the few tears that had escaped Everett’s tightly clenched eyes, “If you do this, you will close his Heart off from everyone. Your best chance at getting what you want is to let me complete the binding of our souls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You lie.” The golden mass shuddered, from one end to the other in a sickening wave, “Once I let you through you will keep him for yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t kill him, I know you can’t, but I will not watch him suffer or let you hurt him in reckless possessiveness just because you refuse to share what wasn’t yours to begin with.” A beat before the mass relaxed, causing Everett to groan in relief. Stephen swallowed all of the expelled misery even as his own threatened to regurgitate. “I will complete the bond and let you access his Heart through that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The glowing golden worm pulsed quietly for long, tense moments until it opened its hold so that Stephen could look upon the vibrant green of Everett’s Heart Chakra. But, just as Stephen savored the victory and moved to envelop the chakra, Vira tightened around him again. “Promise me, Sorcerer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For as long as you must to recover, I will share with you Everett’s love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seemingly satisfied, Vira unwound herself fully from the green chakra and Stephen, desperate to prevent another unexpected attempt to stall, reached for it at the same time, inside his own body, his Heart splintered off a bit of itself and brought it to his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was panting, Everett was panting, both of them hardly able to do more than spare a moment for the two syllables each of their names cost. Stephen stroked the hard outer shell of Everett’s Heart with the bit of his own Heart he had sent over on Everett’s name. “I give you my Heart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… Same.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen smiled against Everett’s impatient lips and traded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The act was simple, bordering on unremarkable when compared to what had occurred for every other chakra (pillar or not) and Stephen felt a moment of panic as he carried across Everett’s piece of Heart to return to his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then he poured it in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And stopped breathing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinked, looked up, and met Everett’s blue eyes. They weren’t kissing, weren’t touching, hell, they weren’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>solid</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Stephen sucked in a long breath before he realized, in the Astral Plane, there was no need for air. He looked down, beneath both his and Everett’s floating astral Projections, and saw their corporeal bodies intertwined on his bed but still. He looked around, saw the flames on every candle still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did we do it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked at the Astral Projection of the man to whom he had traded a portion of each of his prime chakras with. He shook his head. “We haven’t bonded our souls yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched Everett frown at him before glancing down at their clutching bodies. Everett blinked rapidly, despite the act of blinking not needed in their astral forms, and pursed his lips. “I, uhm… Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked down at them, at their frozen moment of abandon for each other. Their selfish desire for the other. Their selfless offering to the other. He shrugged, “I like the view.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stilled, as much as a floating soul could, then clenched his fists once… twice. “I thought we were-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen couldn’t tear his eyes away from the bed, even to look at the flustered soul of the man whose mouth was more familiar to him than the inside of a skull. “I don’t know why we are here in our Astral forms floating above our bodies in my bed, but I’d rather we weren’t.” Stephen both hated and enjoyed the absolute silence that accompanied the Astral Plane. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence continued for just a moment longer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked at the rattled soul an arm’s length away. “I have seen far too much and experienced far too many things to bother lying to myself. Especially when it comes to how I feel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t-” Everett pinched his lips between his teeth so tightly Stephen was sure, had they not been in the Astral Plane, he would have drawn blood. Everett shook his head in aborted jerking movements, “I didn’t...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There is no need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.” Stephen forced himself to maintain their gaze, “But I would be lying to us both if I did as I feel no remorse now that I know you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett glanced at their bodies frozen in time. “You don’t know me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that you’re a man who takes great pride in who and what he believes in.” Stephen floated closer to Everett, “I was captivated by the fierceness of your dedication and bravery and thought they the most defining facets of who you were.” Stephen’s hand reached out and cupped Everett’s cheek knowing full well the man wouldn’t shy away from the blatant emotion he let show on his own face, “Until I had the honor of seeing the depths of your compassion, Everett.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Everett started but trailed off, his blue eyes not bothering to blink as they gazed up at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You accepted the responsibility of caring for a wounded creature who is, by all accounts, a parasite on your soul without expecting anything from her in return.” Stephen smiled with a tentative flash of teeth, “How could I not admire the man who would not let me offer my own self so that he could survive without demanding he be allowed to do the same for me? How could I not love the man who saved me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett swallowed, and Stephen watched his Astral form do yet another pointless thing, “I didn’t save you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saved me from myself. My hubris very nearly did us in but you were able to show me the path I needed to take for us to do what needed to be done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t... know.” Everett’s gaze flickered to his lips before returning, “I don’t know if I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head, as slowly and as gently as the thumb he ran over Everett’s lips. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heat was the first thing he noticed. Heat pooling around his core and overflowing to reach every crevice of his body,  rolling off of the body pressing gloriously against him. The feel and sound of clothing rubbing against clothing, cloth against skin, skin against skin. The sounds of hurried breath, of desire, of desperation. Everett’s sounds. Everett’s textures. Everett’s taste. Everett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the sheer bombardment of sensations that encompassed them told him they were finally back inside their bodies and Stephen groaned in relief. Everett mimicked him with a deep rumble of his own and Stephen tried to see into Everett’s body, to travel the pathways and chakras he had spent hours in but found himself unable to go beyond the Throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Blinding.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Panicked, Stephen pulled back a little to reposition the hand that wasn’t running through Everett’s silver-blonde hair to slide just below his belly button. The sound that poured from Everett’s mouth dried the whole of Stephen’s and there was barely enough time for him to sense the scorching light of his core before he was being kissed again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Stephen struggled against Everett’s insistent mouth. “I can’t reach your core. I don’t know what’s preventing me but I can’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett, taking a cue from Stephen himself, moved one hand down Stephen’s stomach and under his tunic. “Do you trust me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shuddered as Everett’s hand and fingers brushed the straining bulge of his cock, “I- </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” His vision exploded in stars as Everett, finally reaching their target, palmed him through his pants. Stephen fleetingly thought how </span>
  <span>cliché</span>
  <span> such a reaction was before the next two words Everett spoke doomed them both. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Touch me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen did, finding the flies of Everett’s suit and the molten hard flesh throbbing in time with his own racing pulse. He bit down on Everett’s lower lip to keep from crying out when the strong fingers that had only been rubbing with intent fully gripped him through the thin layers of his loose lower clothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His own attempts had never been as smooth and sure since the accident. Even after training had allowed him respectable use of his hands, something so carnal had proven beyond his ability - if he intended to get off with any amount of worthwhile satisfaction - and he had eventually stopped bothering with it. So to have someone else - the man who he was to be soul bound - do it for him, touch him in this way and bring about sensations he had long let his body forget, was ruinous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, look at you.” Everett rasped when Stephen keened at a particularly languid pull from the hand wrapped around him. “Already so far gone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen tried to do the same, tried to bring Everett down to the same level of debauched mess he knew he must be from under Everett’s debilitating caresses, and was rewarded with a slowly encroaching dampness to the right of the zip in Everett’s trousers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ev-” Stephen winced at the chafing of his already sodden cloth and Everett growled in frustration. In a moment of lewd alacrity Stephen released his hold on Everett, flicked his fingers in rapid succession, and suddenly there wasn’t a scrap of fabric between either of them (or the mattress).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s startled chuckle cut off with a ragged intake of breath as Stephen’s fingers returned to him, “Knew there would be perks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perks,” Stephen repeated in agreement with a drawn out hiss when the hand wrapped around him twisted over the tip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had either been far too long or Everett was exceptionally skilled with his hand (definitely both) because every stroke had another bright glob milked from him. Stephen struggled to do the same, his own shaking hand was able to bring out clear beads from Everett but the pain was creeping back in and the mortifying twitches from the discomfort had Stephen’s heart clenching. “Everett, I- I’m-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When his hand stilled despite his desire to continue, Everett slowed. Their kisses paused and Stephen felt his cheeks burn and eyes sting as Everett’s thin rings of dark blue watched him. “Get on top.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen barely whimpered a note of confusion before Everett was swinging his leg over Stephen’s. Hooked around and pulling them both into a roll, Stephen nestled between Everett’s legs and his mouth fell open in stunned rapture at the feel of Everett’s body beneath him. Helpless, Stephen jerked his hips down and forward, grinding their cocks together when Everett’s hand wrapped around them both. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen dropped his head to Everett’s shoulder, smearing the sweat of his brow over Everett’s glowing skin, and rutted against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That’s it, Stephen. Just - </span>
  <em>
    <span>Christ</span>
  </em>
  <span> - just. Like. That.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pushing himself up just enough, Stephen raised his head to look at the man under him. He drank in Everett’s nearly black eyes, the light of flames dancing over his wet lips and the thoroughly ruined coif of warm, silver hair. In time with a thrust that sent Everett’s hand down to the very hilt, Stephen crushed their lips together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That final loss of control, of abrupt abandon, seemed all the signal Everett needed before his hand quickened and his tongue ran circles over Stephen’s. There was a harsh clack of their teeth but the rich tang of rust demanded Stephen’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His twisting pressure and mewling pleas.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Take.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Give.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Staring at the ceiling barely visible from the light of dawn streaming through the window, Everett tried to come to terms with the fact he’d just had the most intense… experience of his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, yet, for all the build-up, warning and effort they’d put in for this soul binding nonsense, now that it was done (not that he was 100% sure of that since he’d blacked out after, but he was pretty sure because how could it not after something like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>?) he couldn’t feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>of a difference between before and now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure there had been moments, a lot of them, where he had no idea what was going on and he felt little more than a MacGuffin but, by the end, it at least seemed like he had contributed. Shit, if he hadn’t been the one to show Stephen the correct way to kiss he wasn’t sure he would have been able to keep himself from laughing at the awkwardness of whatever the fuck Stephen had tried doing. How did a man as handsome as that avoid learning the proper way to snog? Having Dr. at the start had to have been a sure-fire way to get any number of women (or men since that was obviously on the table) throwing themselves at your feet. What a neurosurgeon could pull would definitely shoot any of those tag chasers he’d seen in his Air Force days out of the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett turned his head to the man face-planted into the pillow beside him. The fluttering in his chest and the building interest of his cock at the sight of six feet of lean wizard doctor had Everett wincing. Christ, he sounded like a teenager who’d just discovered the delights of a warm body. Though he had since he just upended years of comfortable female exploits for an improvised tumble with another man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he hadn’t even thought twice about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett sighed through his nose before taking tiny, methodical movements to sneak himself out from under the arm and lower half of the man dozing peacefully despite nearly smothering himself in his pillow. He’d almost blown his cover when Stephen’s sudden dreamy interest in his hair had beard whiskers tickling his ear, but, thankfully, the need to piss proved a powerful suppressor to helpless laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett managed to keep his aim true and was just wiping off the soap from the bright dust of hair on his stomach when a single rap preceded the immediate opening of the bathroom door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bedhead and garish pillow lines against the  face puffy from sleep had blood rushing lower than the molten affection that lanced through his gut. Fuck was he in trouble if this was going to be his reaction every time he saw Stephen the morning after. Especially if the night before was anything like it had been. Wait, was he expecting it to happen again? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shit, he hoped it happened again within the next five </span>
  <em>
    <span>minutes</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett gave a smile he prayed didn't betray him, “Morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s eyes raked over him, a long top down and, damn it, Everett was absolutely positive he was being ratted out as they both stood there staring at each other. Then Stephen moved, taking one long stride toward him, and Everett sucked in hard through his teeth just before Stephen continued on toward the toilet and the chest-high partition that separated it from view of the rest of the bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wake me up next time you need to relieve yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blindsided, Everett blinked a few times before turning to the man bracing himself on the wall with one hand while guiding with the other. “I thought we bound our souls so I wouldn’t have to tell you every time I took a shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen flinched and met Everett’s hard gaze before quickly returning to watch himself finish while red colored his ears. “That wasn’t how I intended to come across,” Stephen said in a soft tone. He flushed and straightened before joining Everett at the sink, “It was meant more as a request so I wouldn’t embarrass myself.” He spared another look before pointedly focusing on his hand washing, “At least anymore than I already have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sincere. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s brows rose in surprise before meeting in confusion, “I believe you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen diligently lathered soap over his own evidence of last night with the hand towel Everett left on the counter and a ghost of a smile on his lips, “Is that bad?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett frowned, “It should be. I’m trained to detect bullshit from a mile away and for as long as I’ve played spy I’ve never been so sure of someone’s honesty.” Stephen met his eyes briefly. “Is that because of the,” he gestured vaguely between them, “bond?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen finished dabbing at the dark hair trailing lower on his belly, “You’ve no gift with magic, so we’ll never be telepathic, but our souls were - are - alarmingly compatible.” Stephen wiped at the stray drops around the sink, “We have a very potent empathic link.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, “So you.. know what I’m feeling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen left the used rag on the rim of the sink and turned his whole body towards him. Stephen’s pale eyes traveled lower, settling on the spot any idiot could tell how he was feeling just by looking, before climbing back up and nodding. Everett didn’t even bother checking for similar evidence of interest before he moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen met and crowded him against the countertop with long hands splayed over his neck and jaw while pressing kisses with the same unraveled abandon that would have brought him to his knees last night if he hadn’t already been lying down in bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now standing, they buckled on a whimper at the flood of want and need and blatant desire that was rolling off Stephen and threatening to drown him from their newly formed empathic whatever. In what had to be pure instinct, Stephen’s hands slid down the whole length of Everett’s chest, ribs and hips to grip under his thighs and hoist him up onto the granite surface behind. Everett knew he should have been rankled at being swept off his feet at his age but Stephen’s lavishing affection made it impossible for him to be. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Love.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Christ, was he </span>
  <em>
    <span>swooning</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dark stone against his skin made him wince but once his legs were pushed apart, letting all of him settle onto the freezing surface, Everett broke apart their kiss with a hiss and tug on Stephen’s bottom lip. Stephen pulled back, lapping at the bright red welt that was forming, watching him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hunger in Stephen’s eyes had Everett licking his own lips, “That’ll teach you for putting my bare ass on a cold surface.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen hummed and a wicked smile formed as he leaned back down, “The convenience provided by this position might be worth-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men froze at the three solid knocks on the door out in the other room but it was the following “Stephen!” that had the man called release an aggravated breath, “Impeccable timing as ever.” Stephen pushed himself upright and flicked a hand toward the tall cupboard near the tub. A towel emerged and coiled around Stephen’s waist as he made his way back out into the bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Achingly hard, Everett let his head fall back onto the large mirror as he released a shaky breath. Shit, Stephen was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dangerous</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He should have known the man would go from novice to Olympian in the snogging category after only one bout. It must be by God’s pitying grace that Stephen didn’t bother dating so the rest of them had a chance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why was there a gun and someone else’s wallet mixed in with the laundry? The least you could do is tell me if I’m about to be an accessory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s stomach plummeted at the words by a voice he didn’t recognize and slid off the counter and scrambled for another towel to cover himself before rushing out of the bathroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And as for the suit-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett emerged from the en suite, clutching the towel around him as he and the unfamiliar man made eye contact from across the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bald, chubby man, in oddly traditional Asian attire, frowned at him, “Stephen, why is there a naked man in your room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen twisted his upper body to meet Everett’s gaze but not before giving him a once over that had him throb and his skin prickling, “Well, you do have his suit.” The man was unimpressed and Stephen rolled his eyes, “He’s wearing a towel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira squeezed past the two men blocking the door and rushed for Everett. He just managed to keep her from embarrassing him further by pulling her around to his side. “Good - oof -  morning, Vira.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked up and saw the Chinese (maybe) man quickly tilt his head forward in a small bow. “My apologies, I thought she was Stephen’s daughter.” The man looked thoroughly nervous with his blunder and Everett actually felt bad as if he had actively participated in deceiving the poor man. “With Levi around wherever she went and her going on about how her... </span>
  <em>
    <span>mother </span>
  </em>
  <span>was with Stephen in his room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett placed a hand reassuringly on the girl’s back as she nuzzled into his hip and strained her arms to wrap around him. This alien was going to have him dead of embarrassment if he didn’t get her to stop calling him that. He sighed, “It’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s as much my daughter, Wong,” Everett’s eyes shot toward Stephen, who was openly smiling at him, “as Everett’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Chinese man, Wong, was blinking and darting his eyes between the three of them at such speeds and without saying anything Everett was afraid the man was having an epileptic fit. And then Wong was nearly doubled over at the waist repeating the deepest bows Everett had ever seen performed, “I’m very sorry... ma’am-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett sputtered, “W-what did you just-” He interrupted himself as Wong’s eyes rose to meet his. He clutched the towel around him tighter and took a single step forward. “I’m not a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>ma’am</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Everett bit off. He watched Wong’s Adam’s apple shift as he tried to speak several times, apologies or questions or whatever the fuck, but Wong didn’t manage a single word. Growing impatient, Everett started pulling off his towel. “Here, I’ll prove-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Stephen jutted his chin and, in a blur of red, the cloak that had been hovering off to the side shot out and wrapped itself tightly around Everett’s body. Vira stumbled back a few steps to let the cloak finish before returning to latch onto him. “That is for my eyes only. I’ve already been extremely tolerant of you not wearing a shirt.” Everett shifted his glare to Stephen and the man had the gall to grin, “I can attest to Everett’s masculinity, Wong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell this tablecloth to let me go, Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wong shot a quick look at the en suite; there was a sheen of sweat on his face when he asked Stephen, “So, then, is there a… Another?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head with a toothy smile, “No, Everett and I spent the evening alone together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>ignore me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wong looked back at Everett wrapped in thick cloth and the arms of a little girl, “Do I want to know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen slid his gaze to Everett before he stroked the hair on his chin and nodded, “It would be best if you were aware of the situation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wong nodded. “I’ll wait downstairs, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen made a noncommittal noise as Wong left the room. Everett bared his teeth when Stephen advanced on him, “You’ve got five seconds to-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vira,” Stephen spoke over him and placed a hand on her blonde head, “Everett and I need to get ready for the day, could you wait downstairs with Wong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira looked up at Everett before turning back to Stephen. Pouting, “Can’t I stay? I can help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head and gently took her arms from around Everett’s blanketed form, leading her out of the room, “Afraid not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira tried to drag her feet and looked back around, calling to Everett. “I’m hungry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Levi.” At Stephen’s command, the cloak, once an unyielding confinement, unraveled and flew away from Everett with enough force he managed a 540 that had him fearing for his ankles. “Make sure Wong feeds her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A portion of the cloak’s plush red cloth bunched into an oddly shaped appendage, saluted, and slipped around Vira’s shoulders to usher her the rest of the way out of the room. Stephen closed the door on her protests with a resounding snick; the quiet of the room only broken by Everett steadying himself in a huff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen turned to face him, a single circle of magic coming to life at the end of his forefinger, “Now, where were we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s eyes immediately locked onto that sparking swirl as Stephen approached him. Blinking, Everett noticed the flat ring that linked Stephen's index and middle finger. “Where’d that come from?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen smiled, “Wong. Now,” Stephen lifted the finger to Everett’s forehead, pressing it to his skin and spoke, “Think of your bedroom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett swallowed, “What could you possibly want from my bedroom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not about what I want. If </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to be able to leave this room, you’ll need to wear something less,” Stephen’s gaze traveled down to the edge of the towel twisting in Everett’s hand, “tempting. I don’t know where you live so if you would be so kind as to provide me with that information, I will open a portal there so you can put on another one of your suits.” Stephen’s eyes snapped back to Everett’s and his smile widened, “Although I’m not against resuming where we left off before that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With their bodies this close, Everett could feel the heat coming off him, and he was keenly aware there was only each other’s towels keeping them from being right back where they had been five minutes ago. And fuck was it tempting to let his towel go just to see what Stephen did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s eyes dilated and his voice dropped, “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>realize I can read your thoughts at the moment, yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett blushed a furious red as he refused to look at the magical circle on his forehead, “How the fuck did you expect me to know </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Surely it’s obvious. Why else would I ask you to think of it instead of simply telling me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett pursed his lips, glaring, and thought of home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least until he felt Stephen’s lips on his and his towel slipping.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fulfillment.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Christ, Stephen would be the death of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>(\-/)</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Everett was to be his ruin, Stephen couldn’t imagine a better end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Awe, desire and curiosity fluctuated endlessly whenever Everett looked at him, and Stephen was helpless against the current of the man’s emotions. Not that Stephen particularly minded. Who knew knowing, on an absolutely undeniable level, you were so </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>would be so… Freeing? Euphoric? Addicting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though being zero for two wasn’t doing much for his self-esteem. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How was it that he, still, had been reduced to a needy wreck under Everett’s hands and mouth? </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one who initiated the kiss. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one who tore away the barriers. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one who took them both into his hands, never mind that Everett had to help near the end (the very final end). Stephen had been the one to start it all but he hadn’t gotten to finish it, and that was the crux wasn’t it? For all his powers and all his charm he’d never been at such a disadvantage when it came to the pursuit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It couldn’t be because Everett wasn’t a woman. Neither of them had any more experience than the other when it came to dealing with a man. If anything, he should have had the advantage in that department. A doctor would certainly be more familiar with the male physique than a military man. Stephen would have bet his license he was the only one between them that had actually touched another man’s prostate. That counted for something, right? It stood to reason it should but, now, Stephen wasn’t so sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything alright in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinked, watched his reflection mimic him and blinked some more before turning to look at his soul bonded button the left cuff of his shirt without looking at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Concern.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s throat caught and he swallowed to dislodge whatever was there. He nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett searched his face, and Stephen made an effort to school it when Everett’s eyes traveled down to settle onto the hands white-knuckled around the rim of the sink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, this,” Stephen looked at Everett’s reflection stare at him; he forced his hands to relax and licked his lips, “link is a bit much at times.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Relief.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched Everett show off a decent amount of teeth in a smile that didn’t come close to reaching his eyes, “Fuck yeah it is.” Everett’s eyebrows buckled, “Wait, shit, I didn’t mean for that to - Christ.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Guilt. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“You’re getting overwhelmed because of me right?” Everett moved into the bathroom and placed a warm hand on his arm, “I’m pushing my feelings onto you over this link thing we’ve got?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen's eyes turned to meet Everett’s, he shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Frustration.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t bullshit me, Stephen.” Everett’s grip tightened, “Every time whatever you're feeling comes through it’s all I can do to keep my head. It damn near drowns me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shifted, turned to face him, “That’s because I suppress the more… fleeting emotions.” Everett’s brows collided. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Confusion. Dread</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “I can keep the link from feeding you the emotional equivalent to background noise, but I’m unable to keep the more visceral emotions from rushing over to you - to share the burden of them - for better or worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guilt.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked stricken, “Shit, so, what? I’m just bombarding you with every little thing that passes through my head?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen smirked, “Heart, actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Disbelief.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett chuckled, “You would know, being a cardiologist.” And Stephen found it easy to join in with his own soft laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nervous.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s tongue darted over his lips, “Look, Stephen, I may not fully comprehend the universe and what exactly we did by binding our souls together, but I do appreciate what you did.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sincerity. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everett’s dark eyes locked onto his, “You saved my life, proactively, and, yeah, maybe it was because the fuse box of the universe decided to hitch a ride inside my body for a bit but you had other options to accomplish similar results at your disposal. You let me choose. You gave me that freedom, even at the cost of your own, and I recognize that sacrifice.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Determination</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His eyes burned him, “How can I make this easier for you, Stephen? How do I... turn down my noise so you aren’t inconvenienced by me more than you already are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s heart pounded and he brought both of his hands to Everett’s face, “You are not an inconvenience, Everett. Never.” Stephen felt Everett’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>uncertainty</span>
  </em>
  <span> at his words but stifled his frustration. “The emotions you share with me are not noise, but music; a symphony that only I get to hear.” Stephen took in every inch of Everett’s face: the questioning upturn of his brows, his pursed lips and tight jaw. “I know right now you feel melancholy and responsible, but your happiness and wonder are precious to me and not something I would give up just because you might send over a bit of anger or sadness now and again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guilt.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “You shouldn't have to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What I </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>be is insulted that you think I would be helpless to stem them myself.” Stephen let his hands slide down to both of Everett’s shoulders as he forced every ounce of his sincerity to be evident from not only their link but from the very core of his being, “I let them come and go and stay because I cherish them. You are dear to me. All of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Embarrassment. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everett looked at him with warm blue eyes, “I’m just the guy they call in when you supers show up without notice. Right place; right time. Could’ve been anyone. I could have gotten stuck in traffic and missed Vira triggering your trap; could’ve-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can never beat me in a game of coulds and maybes, Everett.” Stephen shook his head with a weak smile, “The universe is rarely so lazy. You are here because it could only </span>
  <em>
    <span>be </span>
  </em>
  <span>you. Only you could have supported Vira. Only you would have bound their soul to mine.” Stephen slid his hands down to Everett’s waist and pulled him closer, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> made me realize how much I missed this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s brow furrowed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>curious</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but Stephen watched the pulse in his throat flutter, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anxious</span>
  </em>
  <span>, “Missed what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen lowered his head, hovering to breathe in a rich mixture of his soap, not his aftershave and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everett </span>
  </em>
  <span>deep into his lungs, “Not being alone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s lips closed over Everett’s and it wasn't long before Everett’s arms moved between them so his hands could travel further to run fingers over Stephen’s jaw and curl into the hair at the nape of his neck.They stood there kissing and breathing and holding and then they were opening themselves to each other and it was, all at once, not enough for either of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Exhilaration.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Their kisses made way for teeth that left marks and swelled lips. Their breath became as useless to them as the other’s became vital. Holding each other wasn’t enough and they pulled and tore at the very air </span>
  <em>
    <span>- skin - </span>
  </em>
  <span>separating them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Triumph.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s fingers made a mess of Stephen’s hair, tangling and raking up the back to pull his head any way he could in order to devour him. Stephen’s hands slid down and around to cup Everett’s ass and crush their hips together.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Desire.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett pulled back and Stephen growled in protest. “Believe me, I would love nothing more than to fall back into your bed-” Unable to reconnect their lips with Everett’s bobbing and weaving and </span>
  <em>
    <span>talking</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Stephen lowered his mouth to the pulse hammering in Everett’s neck. “Oh, God, fuck the bed, floor’ll do. Wait, no- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Christ,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Stephen.” Stephen lapped at the mark his teeth made in Everett’s skin, “Mind’s willing, more than willing. I’m not above extortion at this point, but it’s not been thirty minutes yet and, well...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm?” Stephen hummed against Everett’s throat, waiting for him to continue, but when he stayed quiet, Stephen looked up and their two shades of blue met. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Embarrassment</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Stephen frowned a little before taking a moment to piece together the relevance of time. “Oh. Refractory period.” The only reason Stephen knew Everett was blushing beneath all that flushed skin was the pinkening ears. Stephen straightened and smiled down at him, “Breakfast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Relief.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett smiled back, “Starving.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It was just a bit of fun, if you’re curious. I needed a scene break and I thought it looked like the exaggerated collar of Dr. Strange’s cape.</p><p>Are there tags I should be adding now that we’re over 20k words in? Things have happened and yet I feel no real inclination to add more. Which is weird when I consider my other stories. Ah, well.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Wong and Vira were sitting across from each other at the island table, Wong sipping tea and Vira licking at whatever was in the bowl in front of her, when Stephen and Everett made it downstairs to the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett caught Stephen wincing and frowned. He wasn’t sure if that look was because Vira (an alien) was ignoring manners (not unlike a human child would anyway) or because whatever Wong had decided to feed her was inappropriate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wong met their eyes and took another slow sip of his tea at their arrival, but Vira shoved away her bowl of clumpy powder and nearly toppled the stool she was on in her rush to greet them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took Everett’s hand and began pulling him towards her seat. “Come try this, Mommy, it’s fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett looked at the smeared and formed hills of whatever was in the bowl warily and refused to get upset at her continued refusal to call him anything other than ‘mommy.’ He took a palm-rolled ball of it into his mouth. “It’s sweet,” Everett murmured around the tackiness on his tongue.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I added sugar,” Wong supplied. “American children like sugar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the best!” Vira beamed at him over the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wong smiled into his tea and the wave of </span>
  <em>
    <span>affection </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everett suddenly felt had him looking around to find Stephen watching them with a warm smile. Everett took another lump from her bowl.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira gasped at him, “You like it, too?” Her wide eyes and open mouth at his apparent tolerance of the paste had him smiling. “I knew it. I knew you’d like it, Mommy.” Vira pushed the rest of her bowl towards him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bit odd but not bad; God knows I’ve had worse.” Everett pulled a seat closer to her before pushing back the bowl. “Finish your food if you’re still hungry. I’m the guest,” Everett looked over his shoulder at the man still standing there staring at him, “Stephen’ll make something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen chuckled and moved to a counter with a row of sealed glass containers. He chose the largest, the one Everett had assumed was some hippy organic-whole-wheat-soy-bullshit flour and popped off the air-tight lid. “Tsampa is a ubiquitous food staple where Wong and I trained.” He pulled two bowls from the cupboard and, with a wave of his hand, magicked steaming water into them. Stephen then guided two streams of the floury tsampa from the glass jar into bowls that began stirring on their own. Stephen called to him, “Would you like any fruit?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fruit?” Vira whined, pushing herself up higher on the table by her arms, “I didn’t get any fruit. I want fruit!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Startled, and a bit put-off, by the inexplicable needling in his gut at his kid (not his kid) not getting fruit for breakfast, Everett peered at Wong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, now.” Wong protested as he darted his eyes back and forth between the both of them, “That’s not true, I gave her a sliced apple with her first bowl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vira, lying is not something a good girl should get into the habit of doing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett was surprised by the warning tone in Stephen’s voice, but even more surprised by Vira’s reaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slumped back down into her seat, sucking on her bottom lip as she stared into her bowl, “I’m sorry, Daddy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett’s eyes widened and he tried using them to bore through the back of Stephen’s skull, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Daddy?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen acted as if he hadn’t heard her say ‘daddy’ but he skillfully avoided Everett’s gaze when he placed the hot bowl of food in front of him. Stephen sat beside Wong as the cloak attached itself to his shoulders and began eating. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dread.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett didn’t so much as sniff his food and watched one man ensure every moment his mouth was too filled with </span>
  <em>
    <span>tsampa </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be able to talk while the other quietly sipped his tea with an equal amount of effort at politeness. Everett kept his voice even, “Why aren’t you surprised?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen hesitated around a mouthful; swallowed, “This isn’t the first time she’s referred to me as her father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why haven’t I heard her say it?” Everett felt a twinge in his chest, “She’s practically been attached to my hip the entire time I’ve been here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen’s next tsampa-laden spoon paused inches from his lips. “She called me that when she… came out of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a roaring in Everett’s ears and he brought a hand to his chest to make sure there wasn’t a gaping hole he hadn’t noticed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen’s eyes locked onto his, the spoon forgotten, “It wasn’t like that. There was no evidence of a physical toll on your body at the time of Vira’s birth-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Birth?” Everett choked out; felt his whole body go cold before it </span>
  <em>
    <span>burned</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He gripped the island counter. “I’m not-” He stopped himself to shoot Wong a dark look, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m not a woman!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never said-” Wong cut himself off. He glanced at Vira, who was wide eyed and enthralled by the happenings of the adults, before trying again, “She told me her mother and father were upstairs. Stephen’s bedroom is upstairs. I thought she meant-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen lifted his hands to stop them. He spoke to Everett, “‘Birth’ might’ve been an inappropriate term.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anxious.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett wasn’t sure if that was him or Stephen’s feelings but it did alert him to the fact that he was breathing far too rapidly for him to be able to stay conscious much longer. He took a moment, feeling everyone's eyes weighing down on him, and forced his breathing steady, “Explain it then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen pushed aside his breakfast and clasped his hands in front of him. Everett frowned, feeling every crease form on his face, and Stephen sat straighter when he met his glare, “I am more than capable of going into a lurid and vivid retelling of the event; however, it will do you no good to know that level of detail if the abridged version is affecting you like this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett’s lips pinched together; the height difference was very much felt, even from the width of the table separating them. “Why didn’t you correct her?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Irritation.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen narrowed his eyes, “Correct what? Calling you mother or calling me father?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen’s brows met,  “There’s nothing to correct; it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>correct.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not her mother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You gave birth to her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anger.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett slammed his fists on the table, “Stop saying that!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s what happened,” Stephen’s voice rose. “If I had known you would be unable to handle-”</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know what I can’t fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>handle</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” His voice dropped to a low rumble. “Are you the one with some </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing </span>
  </em>
  <span>hitching a ride inside your body as it tries to hide from whatever fucking monsters are chasing it? Are you the one who’s just lost whatever life he thought he had because it was either bind yourself to a wizard or get killed? Are you the one who helped a man jack off on you after-” Everett snapped his teeth together to keep from finishing that sentence. To keep from vocalizing how suddenly uncomfortable the possibility of that abrupt shift in his entire identity as a man being the result of a ritual he didn't understand because he was put into a situation that was spiraling out of his control (if there ever even was a chance of him being in control to begin with) and was desperate for the illusion of everything being alright. Everett rose from his seat, “I didn’t ask for this; I didn’t ask for </span>
  <em>
    <span>any of this</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen only opened his mouth to breathe as Everett turned his back on the silent room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>(\-/)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You bound your soul to that man?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t shift his gaze from where Everett had left. Couldn’t. “Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because of her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t a question. “There is a creature residing around Everett’s Heart Chakra who claims to be the reason Life is.” Stephen tapped the collar of his cloak, “Make sure he doesn’t leave.” Stephen watched it disappear after Everett before he turned to Wong, “I have no way to prove her claims.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wong frowned, “But you have no way to disprove them either.” Stephen nodded and both of them turned to face the little human girl who had replaced her earlier look of wonder with a blank expression. “So then, how does </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>fit into this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen pressed his palms together in front of his mouth while leaning on the table with his elbows, “She was supposed to be the creature’s ticket to gaining access to Everett’s Heart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it didn’t work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen rolled his jaw while he and the girl stared at each other, “The plan involving the child didn’t work, no, but she does have access because I gave it to her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wong looked at Stephen, eyes wide, “You what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen clenched his teeth and ground them together before speaking, “During the ritual she attacked Everett’s Heart. I had already completed the other six but the Heart was the final prime chakra and, even though I knew she wouldn't kill him, I gave her what she wanted so I could complete the ritual.” Stephen scowled at the girl, “And so she wouldn’t hurt him any longer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wong glanced at the still child, “She played you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen sighed and raked a hand through his hair before letting his arms cross over themselves on the table, “It would appear so, yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You made the deal,”  Vira corrected, her child-pitched voice belaying the vacant look in her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, under the condition that it would only last for as long as you needed to recover.” Stephen looked down his nose at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira didn’t flinch under his scrutiny, “And I accepted your terms. It should only take me ten to twelve years to recover enough to be able to sustain myself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen frowned but Wong was the one who ultimately expressed his disbelief, “A decade?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Vira only nodded at him, Stephen spoke, “Ten years is nothing to something like her. It should be nothing to me, considering how many millions of futures and scenarios I’ve witnessed but I am still human, still mortal, and so I can understand the significance of that much time.” Vira shifted her attention back to Stephen and he asked, “Is there any way for that to be reduced? A lot can happen to a human in ten years.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That is not my concern. I have already disobeyed several supreme commandments by coming here.” She frowned at him, a comically petulant expression that only a child‘s face could pull off, “But I had to. There is an entire universe that needs me to be able to perform my function; I cannot allow the needs of one to affect my estimation on that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen interlaced his fingers, “I can respect your duty but there is something you need to understand when you bring a mortal into your situation: their time is finite.” Stephen swallowed, “Everett will die and for you to demand ten years of his life-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are supposed to prevent that!” Vira interrupted him. “I came here because Earth used the Infinity Stones and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>were able to forbid Dormammu from returning here. What I am asking of a race that accomplished either of those things, let alone both, should not be considered a hardship.” Vira shifted in her seat and climbed onto the table to stand and tower over both of them, “I chose that man because he was the best choice to provide me with a safe environment to recover and now you tell me he will </span>
  <em>
    <span>die</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Unacceptable!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wong pushed away his stool as he rose to his feet, “Get down from there-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen lifted a hand to quiet him while remaining seated but didn’t shy from the eyes that burned just as Everett’s did. Damn the creature for looking so </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>like him. “I have no intention of letting Everett die but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I fail to see the issue!” Vira stamped her foot with both fists at her sides, “Neither you nor I nor Mommy want him to die so why are you bringing this up? It’s irrelevant!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It isn’t irrelevant!” Stephen shot at her; his voice ringing in their ears. “Despite what you may think, the people of Earth are not universally resilient to death. To a normal human body, a decade is a considerable amount of time.” He brought a hand down onto the table at her feet and looked up at her, “Humans are a fragile people. Millions are diagnosed with latent conditions that could abruptly end their lives in less than a year without them even knowing until it’s too late to treat, if there was even a method of treatment.” Stephen watched her hands release and her shoulders slump and he let his own hands and  posture relax, “I’m not saying that’s what will happen and I won’t allow Everett to be exposed to anything dangerous, but I cannot use my magic to see his future, to see his fate. Thus, I cannot plan ahead, though some things are inescapable. Inevitable.” The girl paled and Stephen felt a horrible wrenching in his heart at their shared misery, “I just need to know if there is a way to either speed up your recovery or if there is a way to… transplant you into another host.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head, a single wave of her blonde hair, “I have never been in this situation before, so I do not know how to recover my strength any faster than this method; I wasn’t even sure I could find a suitable host until I arrived and I felt him.” She fixated on the tabletop, “But I know I will not be able to leave his body.” She bit down onto her bottom lip, “I dispersed the last of my outer shell and merged with Mommy the moment you opened his Heart. I would be risking my survival by leaving him now that I abandoned the last bit of what attaches me to this plane. Mommy is the only thing keeping me here now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you’re talking to us now, with her,” Wong tilted his chin up at her. “Is there a way we can make it so you use her instead?” Both of them looked at him, and Wong frowned, “What? At the very least she’s less likely to drop dead of a heart attack when compared to a man nearing fifty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen pinched his lips between his teeth at the idea of Everett having any number of sudden and abrupt ends and shook his head, “I asked this when she first emerged. The child is merely a doll; a vessel containing just enough of an echo of the creature to give the semblance of life.” Stephen’s eyebrows buckled as he turned back to look at the little girl who looked so perfectly like a child he and Everett would make together (if they were able to). “But It is not alive and wouldn’t be able to sustain her true form.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira looked past Wong as an idea began to show itself on her face. “Daddy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You fear that which doesn’t allow for a chance for intervention.” She turned back to look at Stephen from the twelve inches she still had on him, “Not a direct confrontation of another.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen mulled over her words and nodded, “I cannot protect him from his own body’s mortality.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira put both hands on her hips and raised her chin to the sky, “I will use a portion of myself to maintain and enhance Mommy’s corporeal form.” She grinned at him with perfect, tiny, white teeth, “I cannot protect him from others but I can take care of what ails a mortal body.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t hide his surprise, “Would that affect your recovery?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira paused a moment before shaking her head, “He is but one and I have dispensed energy to trillions across the universe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen’s relief was short as a splash of red entered his vision from the doorway leading out of the kitchen. He frowned as his cloak stopped directly beside him and fluttered about wildly. “I told you to follow Everett, what’re you-” Levi brought a swath of heavy silk up to his face and Stephen’s heart stopped at the shredded remains of a corner of magically imbued red cloth. He pulled the cloak over his shoulders, “Show me,” and stopped suppressing Everett’s emotions coming through their bond. He cursed himself for squelching the storm of emotions that Everett had been throwing at him during their argument earlier. When the first of Everett’s emotions reached him, his stomach twisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Guilt. Irritation. Relief. Happiness.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen’s expression soured and he sent out his magic along their link to locate Everett just as his cloak brought him to the main entrance with Wong and Vira right behind. The foyer was immaculate; no obvious signs of a struggle and, when Stephen approached the front door to check, every one of his wards was still in place. When he finally reached Everett’s soul he was shocked to find him hurtling through the air at inhuman speeds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira broke the silence with a demand, “Where’s Mommy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen slipped his ring on, “Everett was taken.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vira ran up to him and tugged on his tunic, “How could you let this happen? I haven’t had a chance to tell myself our plan to use my energy to protect him!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Why not?” Wong looked at her with disbelief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She glared at him, “Were you not listening to me? I am not </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The only way this doll and myself can communicate with each other is when I come in contact with Mommy.” She turned back to Stephen, “You have to bring him back! What if he forgets to breathe? What if his skin decides to detach itself from his body? What if his blood stops circulating?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen looked at her with an uneasy confusion, “Those things don't just happen-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But they could!” She pulled especially hard on the hem of his tunic and he felt it give with the sound of tearing fabric.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen’s nostrils flared and the cloak swatted at her, “This is not the time for you to</span>
  <em>
    <span> play child</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Wong!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, right. Come on you little brat,” Wong came up from behind and scooped her up into his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She squirmed and fought against his hold. “Tell your servant to release me!” Vira snarled before snapping her teeth at the arm that came within reach of her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“None of that.” Wong covered her mouth with his hand, “And I’m not his servant.” She stared at him, a furious expression carried solely by the rabid look in her eyes. She pushed her face into his palm and gnashed her teeth together. He only felt a whisper of them graze against his skin. Wong sneered, “You’re not very bright are you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head at them, sighing, as he lifted his hands to begin summoning the portal anew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a retching noise behind him and he spun around to see Wong’s far off look of disgust, “She’s licking me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stephen told himself, as the portal formed in the space above him to reveal the dress shoes and suit pants of the man he swore his life to protect, not to smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he laughed instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>*----o\^/o----*</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>~Minutes Prior~</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everett was already at the door, ornate door knob in hand, when he felt the rich silk of Stephen’s cape wrap around his shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get off!” Everett barked and slapped at the encroaching floating tablecloth. “I don’t need Stephen’s pet rag trailing after me. We finished the damn soul binding which means I have every right to leave this fucking building and get some goddamn fresh air!” In his effort to keep hold of the door the knob twisted in his hand and, when the cloak began lifting him off the ground and away, it swung open to reveal one of the last men he expected to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“T'Challa?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The King of Wakanda lowered the hand he had intended to use to announce his presence and shifted his gaze between Everett and the fluttering red cloak struggling to take him away. T’Challa’s smile was slow and predatory, “Everett, my friend; it looks like you could use some help.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I doubled down and made a plane.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Many things have impeded my ability to write and post this one by my self-imposed deadline. My apologies.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>For a fraction of a moment Everett thought the ship had lost power and they were entering free fall but then he noticed the sparks and sounds of magic and knew better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Triumph.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he fell through the portal forming under his feet, Everett flung out his arms, desperate to grab hold of where the portal’s edge ended. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He failed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Annoyance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My apologies,” Everett heard as T’Challa brought him safely back on board with a sharp tug on his arm. “Sometimes I do not know my own strength.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked up at T'Challa's smirk with a stiff smile and adjusted his suit jacket when he was released, “Oh, ha ha, very funny.” Everett turned toward the open portal in the floor before them where he met the hard stare of the man to whom he’d sold his soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment stretched on before Stephen pursed his lips and flew up through his side of the portal, landing gracefully in the exact spot Everett had stood once the portal fizzled out of existence. Everett scrunched his nose at Stephen’s assessing gaze before shifting his focus on the man beside him, “King T’Challa of Wakanda. Had I known you were coming I would have offered tea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa clasped his hands behind his back and nodded in greeting, “Dr. Strange of New York-”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Irritation.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Earth.” Everett’s brow rose at the biting tone of Stephen’s correction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa only smirked at the interruption, “There is no need to worry about my well being. I am only here to see how Everett was doing under your… care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen bristled and Everett saw the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth at his name, “Yes, well, thank you for stopping by but, as you can see, he is fine-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to talk around him. “Like hell I am.” Stephen’s neck twisted to face him, opening his mouth to respond, but Everett continued before he had the chance, “I’ve played along with your wizardry and your rituals and your rules. I did what you wanted; now I’m doing what I want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked pained and Everett felt an uncomfortable weight press onto his chest. He blamed it on the damn alien.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six hours ago, my sister intercepted a message concerning Everett on its way to an asset of the CIA in Kenya,” T’Challa titled his head and lifted his shoulders, “and, as I was in the neighborhood, I thought I would stop by.” T’Challa glanced at Everett, “Sending your phone to Tibet was a wise choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett frowned in disbelief before looking to Stephen, “Is that where you sent my things?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched a flush dust Stephen’s cheeks, “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to really think about where to put your clothes; I just wanted them </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett closed both of his eyes and sighed, “Yeah, alright, I get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everett was not alone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa chuckled, “Ah, yes, how could I forget: Everett had you there with him.” His eyes narrowed, “And the little one. Tell me, Dr. Strange, why do you leave such an important creature to fend for herself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen met his glare, “Vira is fine on her own; Everett is the one who needs me with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Contrary to popular opinion; I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can </span>
  </em>
  <span>wipe my own ass.” Everett folded his arms in front of him, “I’ve killed people, Stephen. So if you want to be a hero go be hers: I don’t need you.” Everett growled through his teeth. Stephen was only able to take a short step forward before T’Challa moved to block his path. Stephen’s hands flexed and the hairs on the back of Everett’s neck rose as he watched Stephen finally take the time to size up the man between them. Black Panther suit or not, Everett was not willing to let Stephen attack his friend. “T’Challa invited me to Wakanda and, after the fucking weekend I’ve had, God knows I need a vacation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t take his eyes away from T’Challa’s, even going so far as to throw his shoulders back and stand straighter in an attempt to gain even an inch more of height. Everett would have smiled at the absurdity of a wizard doctor trying to seem just as physically imposing as the obscenely fit Wakandan, but then Stephen opened his damn mouth, “The CIA do not concern me. In fact, no </span>
  <em>
    <span>human </span>
  </em>
  <span>concerns me. If I feared for Everett’s safety from those on Earth I would simply move him off world.” Stephen then looked at Everett with no less intensity, “That is not an option. Vira came here-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck the alien!” Everett snapped. He stepped around T’Challa, shoving a finger into Stephen’s face, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re helping her ruin my life</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Everett grabbed Stephen’s collar and pulled the man closer to his face, “I stayed in your home because you said you would protect me. I did your damn ritual because you said it was the best way for you to accomplish that.” Everett’s hand twisted the fabric of Stephen’s tunic, “I had sex with you because you said you loved me and - </span>
  <em>
    <span>goddamn it -</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought maybe…” Everett ground his teeth, letting his words trail off, not willing to admit anything regarding how he felt about last night. “But you don’t care about me at all do you? The only thing you’ve cared about from the start was the fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing </span>
  </em>
  <span>that’s taken over my life.” The cloak wrapped tight around the wrist keeping Stephen hunched forward but Everett ignored the increasingly uncomfortable constriction. “Was everything you said, everything we’ve done - everything I’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt - </span>
  </em>
  <span>been a goddamn lie</span>
  <em>
    <span>?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s face crumpled; he swallowed and seemed to search for the right words to say. “N-,” Stephen’s lips pinched together into a line as he cut himself off.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guilt.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s narrowed eyes widened as Stephen’s emotion registered and he released a breath no different from a chuckle in disbelief, “I should have known.” Everett’s body shook, “After all this </span>
  <em>
    <span>bullshit</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” And his lips curled back in disgust, “Everything that’s happening is happening to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not you. Not Earth. Not Vira. Me! So I don’t think it’s too unreasonable - too selfish - of me to want to know exactly what the fuck.” Everett released Stephen with a shove backward that would have had the man stumbling to the floor if not for his magic cloak. “I trusted you; I offered myself to you. Gave you a piece of myself, my soul you called it, and you have the nerve to not tell me everything?” Everett rolled his jaw and shoulders back as Stephen’s eyes avoided his, “I think I’ve fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>earned </span>
  </em>
  <span>the right to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence was suffocating. T’Challa hadn’t moved since he’d shoved past and barely kept his fist from meeting Stephen’s face, but he felt the coiled tension rolling off the man. T’Challa was ready to pounce on the wizard for his sake and that thought both warmed him and pained him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen lifted his pale eyes to meet his darker blues and opened his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything.” Everett growled while folding his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen pressed his lips together with a short nod and made a show of dusting at the creased section of his tunic. His signature two-fingered ring appeared on his hand and he turned around to open a portal before them. “If I am to tell you everything then Vira needs to be here to corroborate my words.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa had moved beside him once Stephen’s hand waving began, poised and ready for something Everett hoped Stephen wouldn’t be arrogant enough to do but who was he kidding? There couldn’t be another person more arrogant than Stephen. Everett frowned to himself, foolish then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The familiar crackling and sizzling lights filled the ship as the magical portal stretched wider and wider to reveal the foyer of Stephen’s mansion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hadn’t stopped expanding before he heard her: “Where is he? I wasn’t able to follow you as your earlier portal closed before I could get your servant to release me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What the fuck? Everett didn’t see her face, but even with the different tone, he would recognize that voice anywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a name you brat.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett heard Wong’s response through the open portal but he was too focused on staring into the opening partially blocked by Stephen’s body and waving arms. Even then, he still nearly missed it when Vira’s face peeked out from around Stephen’s raised hand and had an unfamiliar look of cold annoyance. The lightning-fast shift in her soured expression, replaced by the familiar innocent childish glee, sent a chill up his spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy!” She rushed him, leaping through the ring of magic, and, Everett couldn’t help it, he took a sharp step back from her in revulsion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa reacted instantly, his suit unfurling and crawling over his body from his necklace and the matching bracelets on both wrists, and shoved Everett behind him with claws bared at the blonde creature masquerading as a human child. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” Everett cried out. “T’Challa, wait, stop.” Everett gripped his friend’s arm, a shimmer of purple rippling across the Vibranium at the contact. T’Challa didn’t turn around to face him, still on guard against the girl who had been pulled back with Stephen’s hands resting on her shoulders as the portal framing them shrinking away to nothing. Everett felt Stephen’s eyes on him but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Vira’s face to meet their challenge. The tears he saw welling and nearly spilling over, the quivering lip and buckled eyebrows and her small hands and fingers reached towards him as her body strained against Stephen’s firm hold and had every fiber of Everett’s being in turmoil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mommy-” Vira sobbed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quiet.” He snapped and Vira did so abruptly that her arms dropped and eyelids fluttered, breaking whatever tension was keeping the tears in her eyes from running down her cheeks and throat. “Just shut the fuck up.” Everett looked to Stephen, “Tell her I’m through with the bullshit, Stephen,” before returning to eyes identical to his own. “Tell her I’m through with the lies,” he hissed through his teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett saw the little girl tilt her head and stare at him before looking up to Stephen, who nodded with a sigh, “The truth, Vira. We owe Everett so much but we’ll start small.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett watched, sickeningly enthralled, as Vira’s mask of childish confusion melted away, “This entire act of being the offspring of you two was your Sorcerer’s idea.” She folded her arms, “I said, from the very beginning, it wouldn’t work.” She had that smirk so alike Stephen’s Everett’s heart ached, “I was right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Exasperation</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s eyes flicked to Stephen’s, and he raised an eyebrow, “Is that true?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Partially.” Stephen didn’t shy away from the brunt of Everett’s gaze, “While it is true her playing the role of our daughter was my idea, that was in response to her appearance when I brought you back to the Sanctum after she attacked you in Central Park.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sincerity.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett nodded for him to continue, “Go on then, tell me why you thought I would appreciate an alien pretending to be my - our - daughter over whatever the actual truth was.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because he thought it would be the best way for me to get to your Heart,” Vira responded instantly. Her nose was tilted to the air, somehow managing to look down it at him while he was still five feet away and two feet taller than her. “Your Sorcerer calls them chakras but they are conduits to your soul. They are the points at which souls are tethered to this plane by the spark of energy I provide lesser creatures.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite himself, Everett was curious, “What does that have to do with my Heart… conduit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira scrunched her nose, “I need to use the Heart of a living creature to convert the energies I’m drawing from the universe so I can capture it for myself to recover as I was not created to be able to perform such a thing. The energies of the universe I collect must be offered untainted, unrefined and in their purest form to attract and convince a soul to bind to a corporeal form. To selfishly spoil that energy with one’s own being and then use it to lure souls to vessels is…” Vira’s eyes darkened, “There is nothing more sinful an act in the universe and I couldn’t violate that commandment if I was never created with the ability to do such a thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked to Stephen, who was stoic and silent and openly watching him, and felt a fresh wave of uneasiness wash over him when there was nothing he could feel from Stephen. “So I’m an alien power converter. Lovely.” Everett’s voice was harsh, Stephen’s lack of emotional response was making him uncomfortable. Or perhaps it was the fear that Stephen was purposefully stopping his feelings from coming through that made Everett wary. He licked his lips, “And you believed this? Her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t flinch, “What she claims of souls and the energy of the universe is not far from what many ancient texts I’ve read over the course of my studies have alluded to. However, I cannot definitively prove her words.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a flare of anger and Everett relished it with a frown, “You obviously believed her enough to help her lie to me from the start of all this.” Stephen’s lips flattened before he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shame</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett grit his teeth and stared down the sudden flash of pain in Stephen’s eyes, “So, that bit about giving me your Heart during the soul binding ritual-,” Everett swallowed as the thought bloomed into a sickening and poisonous realization, “You planned it from the beginning; you knew - saw it in your stupid crystal ball - that I’d agree to the fucking soul bind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Worry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Everett, that’s not-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut the fuck up!” Everett blasted at him, “You think I can believe a single fucking word that comes out of your mouth?” Everett watched Stephen’s grip on the girl tighten and he scowled. Then hated himself for still fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>caring</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “So, soulbind’s done, my hearts yours, and now, obviously, hers because what the fuck else were </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to do with it since, also obviously, you don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>love </span>
  </em>
  <span>me,” Everett spat. “Now what? How long do I have to be her fucking charging port?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten years, at the lowest estimation,” Vira cut in. “Which is why-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Years?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Everett repeated as he stared at her agape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which is why I need to touch you,” Vira continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett recovered from his shock only enough to look at her with horror, “Why the fuck would you think I want you anywhere near me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This vessel’s use is over: I have your heart and I no longer need to maintain the act of your offspring. You can dispose of this body however you like,” Vira strained against Stephen’s hold, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>after</span>
  </em>
  <span> this vessel touches you. The plan we’ve agreed on to ensure your safety needs to be relayed to myself first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett eyed her struggling and took a half-step back  from her and Stephen. T’Challa took one forward, watching the  child, “What plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ten years is a long time for a human to survive without… complications. Even more so the older they get.” Stephen’s hands flared with magic and the girl’s struggles subsided, his eyes flicked to Everett briefly before returning to T’Challa, “I told her of the realities of demanding such a large amount of time from someone like Everett, a decidedly mundane and mortal man, and she offered to fortify his body to prevent something unforeseen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, T’Challa did turn his head a bit to glance at Everett, “Are you ill?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I have a heartworm.” Everett deadpanned and Stephen winced. “Wakanda’s medical technology is further along than anything else on the planet,” Everett sneered, “it’s as good as, if not better than, magic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen scowled, “I highly doubt-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can keep your skin from falling off!” Startled, Everett and T’Challa stared at the little girl as she shouted from under Stephen’s hands, “I can make your vessel unbreakable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that an actual worry of yours?” Everett looked to Stephen, unsettled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked forlorn, “Aneurysms have a higher likelihood of occurring in individuals over forty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett ran his hands over his face, “Look, I’m not saying it’s not a possibility that something as monumentally fucked as a brain aneurysm couldn’t happen but if I start counting all the ways I could just randomly drop dead I think I’d just as soon get it over with to save myself the fucking trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett sucked in hard as the blood in his veins turned sharp and icy. His heart strained and Everett slammed a fist over it and coughed. Wheezed, groaned, “Stephen-”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Terror.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everett!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Stephen was there, knelt beside him with a hand pressed to his back and over the fist on his heart - when had he dropped to his knees? - and a soothing warmth began to spread from between the two scarred palms. Everett coughed as the sensation of comfort teased his lungs. “God.” In. “I’m.” In. ”Dying?” He couldn’t get a full breath. Despite the warmth he could feel coming through Stephen’s touch it just wasn’t enough to keep the numbness at bay. His chest was seizing and his head was throbbing at the same time as it was dizzying; his lungs just weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>opening</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He rolled over to his side, his limbs dead weight and useless and the last thing he felt was his body being gathered up against another. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Desperation.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He had trouble opening his blue lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Despair.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>what was going to be the last thing he experienced in his life? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How cruel.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Everett’s final emotion, indignation over his own death, seared him to the very core but it was far better than the nothing Stephen now felt from the limp, dying, body in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bits of Everett within him were in upheaval; every chakra screamed in agony and desperation to </span>
  <em>
    <span>leave</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Was this what it was like to have your soul bonded die? No, shut up, Everett isn’t dead. Yet. Dying, yes, but not </span>
  <em>
    <span>yet </span>
  </em>
  <span>dead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen jerked at the thud of flesh against a hard surface and looked up to see both T’Challa and Vira pounding on a transparent dome covered in the intricate latticework of his magic. He didn't remember erecting that barrier - he remembers shoving both of them away, far out of his path from Everett, but not a magical shield to prevent them from coming any closer. T’Challa alternated between punching and scratching at the bubble with his Vibranium claws and the runes huddled closer together under every strike. Vira’s own attempts at slamming her child fists against his barrier didn’t even cause the runes to twitch. Stephen’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s hand glowed as he reached for her and Vira stumbled forward at the force of being sucked through the bubble by his magic. The bright scent of copper hit him as soft skin scraped along the metal of the floor but Stephen’s lips pulled back from his teeth in disgust, not pity, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tell it to stop.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hesitated, whether from his voice or from Everett’s condition he wasn't sure, but he spared her from nothing, “Don’t take me for a fool - Everett doesn't have </span>
  <em>
    <span>time.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She only nodded and placed her hand on Everett’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shifted the hand cradling Everett’s skull to press two fingers to his pulse. He scowled at the wild irregular fluttering and brought his lips to the crest of Everett’s hair; his aching soul and throbbing chakras calming at the contact. Stephen pulled back, hovering just above Everett’s lips, felt the shallow puffs of breath that brought nothing into him and his heart clenched. The creature was blocking Everett’s pathways and, if allowed to continue, would cause his chakras to wither. Stephen set his jaw and eased Everett to the floor before striding out of the magic dome with his hands preparing to summon a portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dr. Strange!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t watch T’Challa prowl around the magic bubble. “Whatever you’re going to curse me with can wait, we need to get Everett to your country. Now.” Sparks ignited around his fingers and a massive portal to Wakanda opened up before the ship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inside of the ship rang with alarms when they crossed through. A neutral voice tried speaking over the noise, “Warning: Auto-pilot route disrupted. Attempting to reestablish.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen dropped his arms, the portal evaporating in their wake, and he turned around as a shrill beep sounded. T’Challa’s helmet dissolved when his bracelet flared to life, the beads materializing a miniature version of a young woman above his wrist. “Brother, what happened? You’d only crossed a quarter of the Atlantic before you just disappeared and reappeared in our airspace.” Stephen saw the front half of her form in profile, the back a mess of fluctuating grey particles, and recognized the only sibling of the King of Wakanda: Princess Shuri.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess,” Stephen gripped T’Challa’s wrist and craned his head over to get into her field of view. “Are you at the hospital where you treated Everett Ross for his spinal injury a few years ago?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman frowned at him in confusion, “He was brought to me at my lab here not-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent.” Stephen cut her off and turned to meet T’Challa’s anger, “Think of that facility so I can read your mind and open a portal there.” Stephen lifted a single digit, a circle of magic glowing at its tip, to T’Challa’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen grunted when T’Challa grabbed his wrist with enough force he felt his bones grind together. T’Challa’s voice was dark, “You are sorely mistaken if you think I will trust you and your magic near my mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t time for this. “As much as I’m sure you pride yourself on your technology, my magic can get us there faster,” Stephen hissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa stared him down but, ultimately, relented. Stephen pressed the magic circle to his forehead and, after a moment of tense silence, said, “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa glared at him, “Do not misunderstand, Dr. Strange, if Everett was not in danger, your bones would be meal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charming. Stephen pulled back his hand and absently rubbed at his wrist while turning to the dome of magic protecting a girl kneeling over a dying man. With a wave it dissipated and he scoured every inch of Everett’s body with his eyes while he tried to sense something from their bond. When there were no sign of improvement his attention snapped to the girl, “Well?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t- it won’t listen to me. It doesn’t believe me.” Vira swallowed; it was a hollow response, “It doesn’t trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Never had he seen Vira look so vulnerable. Her eyes were wide and vacant; her face drawn and stiff with unconcealed worry. His gut churned in horrific disbelief, “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wont-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>heard </span>
  </em>
  <span>you.” Stephen advanced on her with barely controlled anger, “What good are you if you cannot relay information? That was the whole reason you were created and now you’re telling me that the creature inside Everett won’t speak with you?” Stephen raised a hand sparking with furious magic towards her but hesitated flinging both it and her towards the wall when she finally looked up to meet his gaze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everett’s eyes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What if he is never able to see them alight with life again? Stephen’s magic fizzled out and he stared down at her, “If you're going to be worthless, then get out of my sight.” She pulled herself up but he didn't bother to watch her move away, too drawn to Everett’s own wretched appearance. His body drained of color and his soul silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With great difficulty, Stephen tore his eyes away to open a portal to the glossy, high-tech laboratory of T’Challa’s memory. There was a startled gasp from several people in white coats as they backed away from the sudden appearance of someplace else. “T’Challa,” Stephen called and the king quickly gathered Everett into his arms and leapt through the portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to him, Brother? You said he was fine when you picked him up!” Shuri’s voice was harsh as she led her brother towards the sleek table that appeared in the center of her lab.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen honed in on the little girl who was staring quietly at her shuffling feet. “I’ll leave you here if you don’t hurry up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her head snapped up and Everett’s eyes met his. Stephen ground his teeth, “Three.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira ran for the portal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen floated through after her, arriving at the examination table where Everett was being fussed over by the fiery Wakandan princess and her machines. “He’s suffering from arrhythmia-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuri didn’t even look at him, “No shit, Sherlock. He’s also in a coma - practically a vegetable.” Behind her, the full body recreation of Everett zoomed in on his brain, a line blipped weakly beside it. “I mean, he’s not totally, but his brain is showing next to no activity.” She pressed a few of the beads on her wrist and another robotic arm oozed down from the ceiling above the table. “Everything but his heart is doing just enough to keep himself alive. But, at the rate it's going,” She shook her head with a grimace and the new robot stopped to hover over Everett’s chest, “it won’t be able to last much longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen swallowed the response at the, quite deserved, insult. He crossed over to the head of the table, bracketing Everett’s face with his hands and leaned down, bringing his face closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The creature inside Everett is causing this. I need you to make sure he stays alive while I converse with it.” He looked at her from beneath his lashes, “If you want more information it’ll have to wait until after Everett is no longer dying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuri stared at him, then nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Stephen delved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Desolation was the first thing that came to Stephen’s mind and he forced himself to calm lest he throw himself out of Everett’s body in shock because it was absolutely nothing like how Everett’s inner pathways were last time he was here. It had been so beautiful then, so bright it had seared him just as it had welcomed him. But now? Nothing but the dark chill of abandonment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen pressed on, following the nearly unseen teal drip of energy flowing to the chakras he passed. The Heart still worked to keep Everett’s vessel alive and the soul tethered to it, but it was so dim it could have easily been lost in the void if Stephen hadn’t been so desperately searching for it. When he finally reached the Heart, he kept himself from weeping at the sight of it only by the sheer force of his hatred towards the thing encasing it in foreign golden energy. Nothing but the tiniest pathetic dribble of Everett’s Heart energy flowed out to fuel the rest of his body and soul.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We had a deal!” Stephen shouted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mass, no longer a creature bound within the confines of a slithering shell, rippled under the force of his anger. “The deal means nothing if the host intends to do himself harm. The universe’s needs outweigh his freedom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was afraid of that. Everett’s offhanded remark of suicide had spurred the creature to take advantage of the access he had granted it to cut Everett’s Heart off from the rest of him. The Heart bridged the high and the low primes together and was the main conduit for one’s soul. If the creature wanted to, it could hold Everett’s soul hostage within his own body and it appeared that was what it had decided to do in order to keep Everett safe from himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Guilt ate at him, “Everett wouldn’t have done that and I swear on my life I would not have let him try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He will be easier to protect now that he is unable to consider leaving you.” The creature crooned, “I have done you a favor.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, different strategy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vira’s-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not bring that sacrilege into this!” The whole of the creature contorted, folded in on itself, and he felt Everett’s body convulsed in his hands just as alarms blared from somewhere far away. “Their existence is profane; its name blasphemous!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was stunned to silence by the level of malice. It wasn’t until Everett’s body relaxed, as the creature did, that Stephen tried again. “If you want to worry about something then worry about Everett’s body failing before you are finished recovering. You and I both know the amount of energy you are getting from imprisoning his Heart is minuscule when compared to a soul that is free to live.” Stephen pressed, “His body likely will not survive the amount you’ve just added onto the already considerable length of time you’re demanding of him; even more so now that you’ve brought his body into such a dangerous state.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature fluctuated, “What do you suggest, Sorcerer?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen tried to keep the relief out of his voice. It hadn’t agreed to anything yet; it only wanted to </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Use a small portion of  your energy to strengthen Everett’s body. If he is indestructible, or at least if his vessel can avoid the blight of mortality, then you would have no need to fear for Everett’s future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that not why I came to this planet?” Stephen watched darkness spread across the underside of it, “I sought out you and your people because I believed I would not need to involve myself in trying to keep my host alive and only need to focus on recovering.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen gambled, “And yet you’ve decided you are going to do just that by confining his Heart and stifling his soul. You’re doing nothing but harming yourself with your actions but if you feel you must intervene then why not do a bit more? Grant him some of your immortality so you can let his soul live free knowing he won’t be able to fall victim to his own choices.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The creature stilled, then everything brightened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well, Sorcerer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just so you know,” Stephen turned his head, blinking against the shine of polished metal and glass, and looked into the fiery eye pinched between Shuri's thumb and forefinger, “I was this close to letting my brother tear you apart.” She moved her hands to her hips, “You’re lucky whatever you did seems to have worked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen leaned back enough to be able to take in all of Everett’s face. The long creases of strain had melted away and the waxiness of his skin had returned to a more pleasing texture. Stephen slid his hands down to feel the rhythmic pulse at Everett’s throat and the steady rise and fall of his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen knew tears would be the last thing Everett would want to see so he kissed him instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a little awkward, kissing upside down like they were, but Stephen wasn’t going to stop himself. Wasn’t going to deny himself this small reward, this innocent indulgence, because it was going to be no more than a peck. Nothing but the sweet pressure of their lips coming together while their mouths remained closed. He would keep it chaste because that would make it good and Stephen ached to be good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the skin of his chin tingled, the breath from Everett’s nose drawing in deep and fluttering through his beard. Stephen felt hands on his head, tangling themselves into his hair and he leaned into the touch. He twisted his neck before making his body follow around to the side of the table at the insistence of those fingers and was unable to suppress the moan from the sensation of them running rampant - scraping - over his scalp. But that indecent sound made his mouth vulnerable and, with a growl of his own, Everett didn’t hesitate to pry it open further with a sharp tug on his hair and a tongue pressing into him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Desire.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shuddered, the tether to every anchor tested as their souls reached out across their bond trying to wind themselves tighter together. The traumatic nature of the ordeal, the potential of separation, made Stephen’s soul desperate to confirm the well-being of his bonded; the need of it reverberating between every one of his chakras. Their shared bits within the other were straining to come together again, if only to make sure everything was alright - that the crisis was over - that they were safe. Everett surged against him and even though Stephen knew he was running on instinct - his soul forcing its desire to be made known and acted upon by the body - he still eagerly met him halfway. He himself was restrained, aware of the needs his soul was trying to make him obey, and struggled not to push too much and overwhelm the one who had just escaped death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen jerked at the voice, his face lifting to see Shuri’s eyes flick between them and the beads on her wrist. He scowled at her brazen voyeurism but couldn’t manage one word in protest before Everett, upset that he had moved his lips away, slid one of the hands in Stephen’s hair to the back of his neck to force it within reach of his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen hissed, biting back a moan that was still far louder than he would have liked when there was a witness to the state Everett was capable of bringing him to. Stephen gnawed on his lower lip in an attempt to stifle the whimpers and panting Everett was shamelessly dragging out of him for the world to hear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A rustle and flutter of darkness descended around them and when his vision was nothing but a rippling red cloth, Stephen sent a silent, sincere, thank you to whoever had made such a brilliant cloak and vowed to stitch the cloak’s ruined corner by hand to show his gratitude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Levi shielding them from bothersome eyes, Stephen drowned in Everett’s hunger for him. He selfishly indulged in the movements of Everett’s mouth on his throat. His larynx received only a bit of prodding attention as Everett’s obsession seemed to be with trying to use his tongue and teeth to count every ring of cartilage encasing his trachea. Or maybe Everett was merely trying to chase down his bobbing Adam’s apple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Stephen could no longer suppress the plea of Everett’s name under the relentlessness of nipping teeth and loving tongue. The wickedly tender bite of taut hair turned painful as his head was wrenched back and away from lips that, many racing heartbeats earlier, had been so demanding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was shoved back, stumbling a bit until his cloak fluttered and caught him from colliding into the metal wall behind him. He looked up as Everett pushed himself into a sitting position, swinging his legs off the table, and caught the stubborn denial in his eyes as they both tried to catch their breath. Stephen watched Everett’s eyes slide down and lock onto his neck, neither of them could doubt who had done what, and Stephen relished every wound, cataloging the aftermath, along with Everett’s burning gaze. The temperature controlled breeze of the lab swept over the marks still wet with Everett’s spit and the chill of it was almost soothing. Almost. The skin of his neck was bruised raw from the blood Everett had drawn to the surface. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s face turned a brilliant red when his blue eyes finally made their way back up to meet his, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen brought one of his hands to his throat, tracing a particularly tender piece of Everett’s handiwork, “Celebrating your recovery.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re an arrogant cock if you think I want you after everything you’ve done to me.” The color and swollen look of Everett’s lips betrayed him and Stephen masked the sharp pain in his heart with a smirk and a twitchy rise of his shoulder. Everett’s eyes narrowed and his mouth opened to speak but he was enveloped by a fierce hug from the Wakandan princess before he could continue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We really have to stop meeting like this, Shuri.” Everett patted her back as she squeezed him tighter once more before releasing him with both hands on his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should kill you for daring to die from a heart attack after all that work I did to save your life.” There was an edge to her voice, dulled as it was by the emotion clogging her throat, that had Everett’s face drooping slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not as young as I once was, princess. Besides, we both know it was your robots that did all the work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rapped him on the side of his head and he laughed, “And who made those robots?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett shook his head, a small smile spreading over his face, “You did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And don’t forget it.” Shuri met his smile with a bigger one of her own before jerking a thumb at Stephen. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about him, either. If I had known you were interested in men as well I could have set you up with someone far better than this one.” Shuri’s grin turned wicked, “Wakandan men are </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>powerful lovers and I’m sure-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Shuri. Just...” Everett put up his hands, briefly meeting Stephen’s gaze, before he looked away and pinched his brows together, “Stephen and I aren’t-” Everett stopped himself and sighed, “I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>into </span>
  </em>
  <span>men.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuri eyed him a moment before pressing a few of the beads on her wrist, twisting one and then flicking a finger at the screen Stephen had been leaning against. It brightened to life, revealing several viewing angles of the examination table where Stephen and Everett were currently devouring each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Everett was the one devouring Stephen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every inch of marred skin on Stephen’s neck throbbed as he watched Everett place each one of them on the him on screen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me you’ll delete that,” Everett croaked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” Shuri blinked innocently at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shuri,” Everett warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am afraid my sister does not delete anything she finds worthy enough to record in the first place.'' The three of them turned to where King T’Challa and his personal bodyguard, Okoye, entered the lab. “I know this from experience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T’Challa,” Everett slid off the table, ignoring Stephen - and Shuri’s video - to stand and greet them, “Okoye, it’s good to see you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okoye’s stoic expression softened just a bit, “I’m glad you are well, Mr. Ross.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa nodded, placing a hand on Everett’s shoulder, “As am I.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, Shuri’s a miracle,” Everett glanced back to the princess, “when she’s not too busy being a plague.” She scrunched her face and glared at him, and Everett laughed until he turned back to watch a smile fail to meet T’Challa’s eyes. “What happened?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just finished speaking with representatives from the UN.” T’Challa’s grip on him tightened, “They’ve requested you be extradited back to the US.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen pushed himself from the wall as he looked from T'Challa to Everett, “Extradition means they’ve charged you with a crime. What crime could you have possibly committed? You’ve been confined to my house the entire time since the incident in Central Park.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett squared his shoulders, “They charged me with treason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa dropped his hand, “They are claiming you fled the country once you heard that they found out you were planning to sell state secrets to foreign powers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And they wouldn’t want to risk angering a technologically superior country by sending in a team to infiltrate and capture me by force.” Everett folded his arms in front of him, “At least not before they make a show of going through the proper channels first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa nodded, “Wakanda does not have an extradition treaty with any country, we’ve never needed to consider it, and so we are more than within our right to refuse their request.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which you did,” Stephen was beside Everett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa looked to him with a slowly spreading smile, “Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked between the two men and opened his mouth to speak, but T’Challa continued over him, “I never even considered their extradition request. My country, my home, will always welcome you.” He smiled softly, “There is a silver lining to all this: now you can accept my offer of becoming my country’s diplomatic envoy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s face fell, “T’Challa, as I said before, I am flattered but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your duty is to your country, I understand.” T’Challa nodded solemnly, “But they no longer value your life, Everett.” Everett tried to speak again, only to stop when T’Challa raised a hand, “Do not think that I do not know the fate awaiting you should you return to the US labeled a traitor. This way you can return in a diplomatic sense; they would not dare to harm you without bringing undo attention to themselves.” T’Challa’s voice hardened, “Once you accept my offer you become Wakandan and I will not allow any country to falsely accuse and imprison a single member of my people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would never let them,” Stephen growled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked at him then, the connection of their eyes igniting a flare of heat low in his gut, before returning to meet T’Challa’s gaze, “I still love my country, T’Challa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then become my envoy, gain my protection, so you can return and clear your name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett pursed his lips, “I’ll… Think about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa grinned, “That is all I ask. Come, let us return to the palace, I believe it is time for lunch in New York.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I apologise for the lateness of this post, several things have happened that have made finding time to write harder than my earlier posting habit had allowed: I got married to my partner of ten years and was assigned a massive project at work reviewing twenty years of a department’s work. One made the return to a computer physically difficult while the other makes it mentally challenging. I desperately want to continue this, and I will, but I won’t be able to keep a consistent schedule for posting. </p><p>I’ve opted to write this not on my computer, in an effort to distance myself from that situation mentally, so if there is any odd formatting, or other issues, that’s wholly on me and my alternative device. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stephen sat in the back of the transport while the others chatted and tried not to care about the fact that he had been tossed to the wayside in favor of maintaining their companionable atmosphere. He really shouldn’t have been surprised it turned out this way, after all, he had known Everett less than a week whereas they had known him prior to The Snap. Their souls were bonded together but it wasn’t in a way that had been natural- it had been out of necessity and obligation. Survival. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scowled out the window, he wasn’t bitter - couldn’t be - about it because he’d done this himself. He’d conspired with Vira and the creature in order to keep Everett in the dark about all of it and now he was receiving some sort of twisted cosmic karmic justice by having his soul bonded wish he was dead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen flicked his gaze in Everett’s direction, catching Shuri’s volcanic scrutiny before returning to the window with a sigh. Or at least he assumed Everett wished he were dead; ever since he’d awakened there hadn’t been a peep from Everett’s soul. Not a single emotion transferred between the two of them. Oh, he’d tried to push something along their bond toward Everett, something - anything - to get a reaction, but nothing had been received, or Everett was handly ignoring it. Stephen wasn’t sure which was worse: that their bond was now damaged in a way he didn’t understand or that Everett was, somehow, purposefully cutting himself off, not unlike what Stephen had done during their argument over breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Definitely karmic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an uproar of laughter from their group and Stephen turned his head to watch the joy on Everett’s face because he was longing for some of Everett’s happiness now that he couldn’t feel it. Shuri locked eyes with him again and flipped him off, discreetly from under the crook of her folded arms, before returning to listen to Okoye’s stoic delivery of how she bested her husband in hand-to-hand combat over their anniversary ceremony.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small whine next to him shifted his attention to the human child folded in on herself in the seat beside him. Stephen leaned back against the headrest and stared out the window again, “Don’t cry, it’s annoying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am a five year-old human child,” She mumbled into her knees and crossed arms. “I am allowed to cry like one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen scoffed at the scenery rushing by, “What could you possibly have to cry over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve failed my creator.” She lifted her head just enough to stare at the metal floor, “I can’t complete its last command; the final act to prove my devotion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chill ran over Stephen’s flesh and he tensed, “What does it want you to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kill myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen twisted his head to face the teary face of the child next to him, “That seems… excessive. It got what it wanted in the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head, “My attempts at stopping my heart failed as equally as trying to stop myself from breathing.” Vira’s face scrunched up, “And although it felt like I was making progress, by being able to hold my breath a little longer each time, it is slower and far more difficult than I expected. There must be a better way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uncomfortable by having a discussion like this with what was, quite literally, his daughter, Stephen turned his body more to face her, “While there are many ways to die, that particular method isn't something someone can do if they simply try hard enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make sense. The soul should have dominion over its vessel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You would need to train your-” Stephen stopped and stared at her, “But you don’t have a soul.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira looked at him in disgust, “Are you stupid? Of course I have a soul. Why else would my creator curse me if it wasn’t for that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen blinked several times before he grabbed her roughly by her shoulders and pulled her body around to face him. He delved into her and was stunned to find pathways full and bright in only the way a fresh and innocent soul, untainted yet by the material plane, could be. He followed along to each of her chakras, equally as brilliant in their purity until he came across her core, a kaleidoscope of colours nearly white in their totality. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t but you do.” Stephen whispered in a harsh tone. He retracted his energy and crushed her against him in a hug that had her struggling for breath. “You do!” Stephen pulled back to look her in the eyes, “How did this happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both man and child turned to face the others finally acknowledging their presence, with Everett being the only one who had a genuine look of concern on his face. “Everything alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s heart swelled at Everett’s expression and he selfishly indulged in the memory of when Everett had asked him that same question in what felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened: betrayals, confessions and near death experiences and it was barely lunch time. “She has a soul!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett frowned in a way Stephen refused to be deemed anything but fond bemusement, “Uhm, okay. And?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?” Stephen repeated in confusion before remembering, “Oh yes, you weren’t in the kitchen when Wong asked to use her as a host instead of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now Everett’s frown was most definitely not fond, “And who’s fault was that?” He stopped and looked between them, “Hang on- ’instead of me’?” The hands at Everett’s sides flexed, “You mean that’s an </span>
  <em>
    <span>option</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen grinned, “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen waved away her refusal without a glance and rose from his seat. “The creature needs a host with a soul which is why Vira wasn’t an option before, but now-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said no!” Vira shrieked and Stephen looked to the girl now standing in her seat. Her face was flushed and she vibrated with fury, “I cannot- I will not be the host for my creator!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen rounded on her, mouth falling open in disbelief, “Why wouldn’t you? You’re the best option to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will not defile it!” She roared over him. “I was never supposed to have a soul. My body - this vessel - betrayed me and attracted a soul to it against my creator’s wish. It has sinned and thus I have sinned.” Vira’s eyes were shining anew, “My only chance at redemption now, for both me and my creator, is to die.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, whoa, whoa hold on now,” Everett was suddenly there, having crossed the whole of the ship to stand before the girl in her seat. Stephen watched an odd conflicting set of emotions flit over Everett’s face before he reached out to the girl. “You aren’t going to die-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me!” She snapped, cowering away from his outstretched hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Recoiling, Everett frowned and turned to look at him. Stephen sighed, “Vira communicates with the creature inside you by coming in contact with your body. There is no telepathic means for them to share information so it is only when you and her touch is she able to speak with it.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And she won’t touch me because she’ll talk to the alien?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen nodded with his lips pinched together. “Earlier, when you went unconscious, it ordered her to kill herself because acquiring a soul goes against one of its commandments. She was to only be a doll the creature created with enough awareness to accomplish two things: facilitate your Heart for the creature to use and open a line of communication.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s eyes widened, “Wait, so, she’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>the creature?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head, “She never was. She was merely a mouthpiece for it, but, now that she has a soul of her own-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I shouldn’t be considered alive!” Vira stressed as she slumped back down into the chair, pulling her legs up to her chest. “From the very start of my existence I was never my own. I was created for a specific purpose; to perform a specific function. I was never meant to be anything more than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett looked down at the child and Stephen’s heart twisted tight in his chest at the perfect mixture of sorrow and compassion in ocean blue eyes. Everett dropped to one knee before the girl, “Tell you what? If you choose to stop living then I’m more than willing to let Stephen do his wizardry and make you deal with the alien instead of me, but I’ll make sure Stephen forgets about his idea if you promise to not die.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira narrowed her eyes at him, “You would only benefit from having my creator removed from your body and transferred into mine. And, despite what you may think, I would have no way to truly resist should your Sorcerer find a way.” Vira flicked her gaze between the two of them before finally settling on Stephen to await his response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Would he really just give up on the solution to their problem? The opportunity to save Everett from the clutches of the creature by transplanting it into the girl was now a possibility. An incredibly tempting possibility that he would be a fool not to take advantage of in order to save the one to whom he’d bound his soul. The excruciating pain the creature had wrought not only onto Everett but to him, by nearly causing Everett to die, was something Stephen did not wish to experience again. However remote the chance of success may be (considering he has no way to know how to go about accomplishing such a thing) the fact of the matter is that now he has the </span>
  <em>
    <span>option</span>
  </em>
  <span> to try</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett turned his head up and around to look at him and Stephen froze. “What kind of parents would we be if we let our kid house an evil alien inside their body, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s tongue made that final consonant biting and Stephen drew in a long breath at the realization: Vira was their child. Now that she had a soul, she was her own being. A being who was the perfect composition of both his and Everett’s genetic material. A being who had pathways leading to chakras and a core white with pure and new rebirth. In any and every sense of the word, Vira was their </span>
  <em>
    <span>offspring</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen swallowed and cleared his throat, “Right, yes, what was I saying? I can’t remember.” Everett smiled up at him and Stephen felt his core burn wonderfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira glared at Everett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of Everett’s eyebrows rose, “Do you not want to be our daughter?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira faltered, her eyes darting between both of them before hiding her face back into the space between her knees and chest. There was a muffled sound and Everett stopped himself from reaching out to her, only to shoot a look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was this harder now that they were actually trying to be Vira’s parents instead of the charade from earlier? “Vira, look at us when we are speaking to you,” Stephen’s voice was forceful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hunched a bit before peeking out with a defiance Stephen knew wasn’t as firm as she was hoping it appeared, “You’re not my father.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked down his nose at her, “Actually, I believe I’m the very definition of your father.” He tilted his head toward Everett, “And Everett is, in </span>
  <em>
    <span>nearly </span>
  </em>
  <span>every sense of the word, your mother. Now, whether you decide to refer to yourself as our child or not is irrelevant as both him and I have accepted the responsibility of being your parents.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was blatant mistrust in her eyes.</span>
</p><p><span>“We aren’t fools, Vira. We know you're as much a child as I am a woman,” Everett smiled a bit. “Which is why I’m not going to bother lying to you: this isn’t out of a sense of love but more out of a sense of necessity. Of everyone on</span> <span>Earth you’ve the most knowledge of the alien and I can’t risk you offing yourself and me losing access to that information while I still have it inside me.” Everett pushed himself to his feet and his smile turned mischievous, “If I have to live with </span><em><span>it</span></em><span> you have to live with </span><em><span>me</span></em><span>.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Stephen kept his face carefully blank as he watched both pairs of identical blue eyes stare each other down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira looked away first, murmuring in a soft voice, “Deal.” And didn’t lift her head when Everett twisted around to look back at the Wakandan trio patiently waiting to be included.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T’Challa, Shuri, there’s someone very important I’d like you to meet.” <br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(\-/)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did lie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett glanced away from the bright cityscape below to watch Stephen, and his perpetually swirling cape, join him at the balcony to their suite of rooms. “Do you think she would have believed me if I’d said the truth?” He turned back to the view. “The couple days I had her on my heels at your place weren’t… unpleasant; just a bit smothering.” Everett scoffed, hanging his head a little, “Some agent that makes me, huh? Kid comes around, looking a bit like me, and I start getting emotionally attached.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d say it was an effect of biology...” Stephen trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of Everett’s eyebrows rose, “But?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we both know she looks more like me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Christ,” Everett laughed, “you’re an ass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen hummed in agreement before turning to follow Everett’s gaze and look over the Wakandan capital that was still shining in the dusk of evening, “It’s not New York-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And it never will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen paused after Everett was done interrupting and placed both of his hands on the carved wood preventing them from plummeting to their death, “Even if you hate me-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett groaned, “I don’t hate you, Stephen. I’m fucking angry with you. Pissed. Royally. But I don’t hate you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His scars flared as he tightened his grip on the railing, “I can teleport you whenever you’re homesick.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s tone had Stephen’s heart racing with nerves, “Think of it as just another perk of being bonded to the Sorcerer Supreme-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like disappearing clothes during sex?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every one of the marks on his throat ached and Stephen’s teeth scraped over his lip, “This is a more convenient-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not having to fumble around with your wrappings-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Useful! Teleportation is a far more useful ability for you to take advantage of. I’m more than capable of sneaking you in and out of the country whenever you desire. No one from the CIA would know.” Stephen was facing Everett now, pleading to whatever cosmic power was bothering to listen that his flushed face wasn’t noticeable between the encroaching night and soft lights in the empty room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, “If I’m going to be going into the US as an envoy I have to arrive like one. There has to be a record of me entering so that I won’t disappear, at least not easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t need to worry-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because of the deal you made with the alien at Shuri’s lab?” Everett shook his head, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>present at dinner, Stephen. But, more to the point: do you know how effective it actually is? I don’t feel any different and I certainly haven’t gotten younger. Isn’t that how immortality is supposed to work? I get to return to my younger, primer self?” Everett rubbed his jaw, “Still feeling every bit of my forty plus, Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think it’s that kind of immortality,” Stephen said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bummer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen quirked an eyebrow at Everett who only gave a lazy shrug, “Got a kid wandering around me now; can’t be cussing like an airman anymore.” Everett grinned, “How’m I doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen laughed, “Horrible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, well, at least she’s not around to hear me right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen smirked, “Don’t let her appearance fool you, Everett. Vira may have the body of a child; getting tired and needing a nap after a day like today, but she does not have the mind of one.” Stephen’s gaze returned to the city below, “She is far more aware of what is around her than any child should need to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I get that. ” Everett sighed and grabbed the railing while following Stephen’s gaze. “I just, never really figured I’d be someone who would have a child to look after. To worry after.” Everett’s fingers tapped against the rail, “I pretty much accepted that I wouldn’t be able to be a husband or a father once I was recruited from the Air Force without being either already. The CIA aren’t known for their family friendly careers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen stole a peek at Everett, “But you wanted it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tapping stopped and Everett’s lips pinched together and twisted to the side. He nodded before remembering they weren’t looking at each other, “Yeah. Told myself I didn’t, but, yeah.” Stephen watched as a small smile took over Everett’s face, “And what does it say about me that I don’t think I could have been given a better kid? She’s my flesh and blood but I didn’t have to do anything to get her to her level of self-sufficiency. I didn’t have to deal with the nightmarish first year where sleep itself is a dream. Didn’t have to deal with her teething. Didn’t have to change her diapers or potty train her. I didn’t have to teach her to walk or talk (though I suspect I’ll have to figure out a way to get her to shut up sometimes). I won’t have to worry about her going off with strangers. Won’t have to worry about her doing something really stupid like jumping off a sofa and needing stitches.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen turned to look at him then, “That’s oddly specific.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett gave him a wicked grin, “I knew I wanted to be a pilot from a very early age.” Stephen chuckled, with Everett joining in for a while before petering off. “Everyone always talks about the hardships with raising a child, but they also say, in the end, the accomplishments make it worth it. What does it say about me that, given the chance, I’d prefer not to be bothered by the ‘training’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen was quiet a moment, “Practical.” Everett snorted and Stephen continued, “I’m not really the best person to judge someone on their selfishness.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s smile was smaller, but no less mischievous, “Really? And here I thought I was talking to the foremost expert on the subject.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen‘s expression tightened, “If I was, I would have been able to get away with being selfish without suffering so much for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett shrugged, “Maybe, but then you wouldn’t be here right now; casting spells and opening portals just because you could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I suppose giving up the life I had worked for to be able to do that was all worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett rounded on him with fury in his eyes, “At least you had the option; at least-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen let out a harsh bark of laughter, “You think I had a choice? You think someone wouldn’t have seen that I was the only way Dormammu was going to be defeated and Earth saved and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> ensure that would happen?” Stephen’s voice lowered, “There’s a reason every universe that needs one has a Dr. Strange.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s hand lifted toward Stephen before he stopped, frowned, and gripped the railing instead, and Stephen wished, again, that Everett’s emotions weren’t silent to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you were only playing the part before, as her father, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t,” The sharpness of Stephen’s voice startled Everett, “assume I wouldn’t share in my parental responsibilities.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett regarded him a moment longer, “Do you want her?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen looked away with a frown, “I never gave much thought to having a wife and kids.” Stephen scrunched his face, “There was a woman I was romantically involved with; who I had thought of marrying...” Stephen trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s arms were folded in front of him with an obvious ‘please continue’ look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head, “It doesn’t matter. I accepted the reality that I had ruined the chance at a family of my own the moment I accepted the mantle of Earth’s protector. Even now, I have no regrets about my decision; I can’t do my duty as Sorcerer Supreme and lament such a choice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sensing a but somewhere in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen gave a tight shrug, “If I were to have a child, Vira, as she is, would be the ideal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett tilted his head, “Well, she is your child. And maybe she will need someone to help her with her own magic; assuming that’s how that works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen froze, “I… never thought about it. Magic is inherent but only usable if nurtured and trained properly. However; not everyone has the talent to make the work needed to do even the simplest spells worth it.” Stephen pinched his beard between his thumb and forefinger, “The bond between her body and soul is still new, young, and I won’t know how well she’ll take to learning until it settles. It could cause harm later on if her soul outpaces what her body can contain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understood that.” Stephen gave Everett a dubious look, “Mostly. So, you get a protege-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She will be my daughter first and foremost,” Stephen interrupted. “Whether or not she has magical abilities would be irrelevant to her being my child.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you do want her, Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Startled, Stephen gave a thoughtful hum.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett held out a hand, “I’m willing to forgive the both of you for lying to me about all this so that we can be a family, but you have to promise me no more lies, Stephen.” Everett’s eyes were hard, “I don’t know how I’d be able to forgive you enough to trust you if it ever happens again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen turned to face him with a solemn look before taking his hand. “I give you my word.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett raised an eyebrow when Stephen didn’t continue or release his hand. “Not going to ask the same from me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shook his head, took a step closer, and brought their clasped hands to his chest, “I trust you with my life, Everett Ross. You and I bound our souls together; no matter what you say, or do, I will trust you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett blinked before taking back his hand, “That’s not a good thing to say to a CIA Agent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One corner of Stephen’s lips curled up, “Are you still?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett laughed, “Fuck you.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No promotion.</p><p>At least getting to finish this chapter brightened my week.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was after six in the morning when Everett finally admitted, to himself, something was up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, this was after trying to take a piss for the third time, not feeling a wee bit tired (even after nearly dying and being awake for twenty-four hours) and after noticing that his body hadn’t had any of those ever-present aches from old dislocated joints or just by <em>being</em> old. Which was good, because God knows that was annoying, but also the final nail that told him whatever was happening was definitely the alien’s doing because being pain-free was too good to be true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grunt, he rolled over to the edge of the bed to push himself up and make his way into the attached bathroom. He quietly locked both doors leading into it, after making sure Vira was still asleep in the other room, before turning to face himself in the mirror dominating the entire length of the two-sink counter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned forward, peering into his reflection, and counted every worry line on his forehead, crow’s foot around both eyes and crease framing his mouth. He checked his greying hair(line) and morning stubble. He checked his ears and nose for extra hairs, even though he knew - told himself - he wasn’t quite that old yet, and checked the skin on his arms and hands. His muscles were still firm, range of motion still great and, Everett alternated closing each eye, eyesight still seemed 20-20. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything was fine. He felt good- great, in fact. So why was he unsettled about it? Everett braced himself on the counter and turned his head to stare at the toilet tucked away into its own closet. Because the first piss of the day was such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing you do </span>
  </em>
  <span>that to skip it felt wrong. He sighed, straightened, and got on with preparing himself for the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had just stepped out of the shower when a careful knocking sounded from the door leading to Vira’s room. Everett wrapped himself with a towel that reached past his knees and threw on another over his shoulders in an odd sense of modesty he really shouldn’t have cared about considering he had already been in nothing but a towel before her just yesterday. Now that they were family, shouldn’t he care even less? Everett frowned at himself, no, family or not, Vira was still a child and she didn’t need to see that, and opened the door to reveal a soft little girl that sent a rush of parental fondness flowing through him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It still surprised him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scrubbed at the sleep in her eyes, “Are you done yet, Mommy? I have to urinate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s mouth twitched at her choice of words, “Yeah, almost.” He stepped back to let her shuffle through to the toilet, “What’ll it take for you to stop calling me that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira entered the closet, holding onto the knob as she looked back at him, “You’re the one who insisted on being my parent. Daddy is already Daddy and as you cannot have two daddies, since it is physiologically impossible for y- our species, you will be Mommy.” She closed the door with an upturned nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing, Everett shook his head and crossed over to the sink to shave and drown out the sound of her relief. Maybe he was thinking too hard about this whole privacy thing. He knows she knows that he knows what she’s doing behind that closed door so what’s the point of all this virtue-protecting bullshit? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lathered up with something that had far too much burn to be Barbasol and was just about to use the fresh razor he’d found in a drawer when the tell-tale flush and subsequent opening door had him pausing mid-stroke to glance in her direction. He immediately slapped his free hand over his eyes and turned his body away from her, “Why are you naked?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was informed a shower was part of the morning routine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is. Can be. Usually.” Everett let his shoulders slump and set the razor down onto the countertop, “I’ll just leave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt around for the handle of the door leading to his own room, fumbling a bit when he heard her feet pad closer toward him on her way to the shower. Everett slipped through and shut the door with his back before dropping the hand from his face to stare at the dresser filled with Wakandan (Shuri’s insistence) and his own clothes from home (Stephen’s thoughtfulness). What the fuck was wrong with him? It’s a kid, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>kid, why was he being so skittish around her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because, just yesterday, she’d gone from being possibly the enemy to almost definitely being the enemy to being a victim.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett scrubbed the cream off his face and the remnants of water still clinging to his hair as he rifled through the wardrobe and settled on a pair of underwear. He smirked hearing the start of water and the change in its sound as something deflected the stream and tossed both towels at the chair nearby. The brat was smarter than he was, apparently figuring out how someone else’s shower worked was only his predicament.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He snagged a pair of princess-approved pants from another drawer and had just cinched up the waist when there was a thud of something heavy hitting tile and the rattle of glass. Everett was across the room and through the bathroom door before the glass door had stilled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somewhere in the objective part of his mind, Everett knew it looked worse than it actually was. Sure, the shower was still running, making her quivering form all the more pitiful sprawled out over the floor, but Vira’s attempts (and commendable success) at controlling her instinctual reaction to pain told him she was going to be alright in the long run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then there was the other part, that new parental part, that had him wrenching the shower door open to get her away from the danger around her. Everett dropped to the tile and barely registered the force of the impact. There wasn’t time to worry about him and the state of his forty-year-old knees: Vira was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurting</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett leaned over and turned off the water before getting to work assessing the extent of her injuries. “I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?” His voice shook as much as his hands (how mortifying) while he ran them through her hair, checking for the bump he knew had to be forming. “I should have drawn you a bath instead of letting you take a shower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira staggered as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, a neon-bright sign telling him he needed to get her out of this disaster area before she slipped again. “I was trying to reach the bottles above but-” Vira jerked back from the hand he’d placed on her shoulder to help steady her, forcing her to catch herself on an unprepared hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s reflexes were the only thing that kept her from face-planting and she immediately started scratching and tugging on the arm caught around her waist. He snapped at her, “Knock it off: you're going to hurt yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira seemed to struggle harder in his grasp; feet sliding out from under her as she tried to find purchase and gain leverage to free herself. “Let go! Don’t touch me! I don’t-“ Vira stilled, words tumbling back down her throat as she looked down at her hands on the arm wrapped around her waist. It seemed like hours before she turned her eyes to his, “It’s quiet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s eyebrow rose before he caught on to what she was talking about, “You mean the alien?” Everett’s heart clenched and looked towards his chest to scowl at it, ”Damn well better be if it doesn’t want to get stuck inside you.” He looked back to her with a gentler gaze, “Now, come on, let’s get you out of here.” He got to his feet, scooping her up with him, and carried her out of the bathroom. Making a detour to the discarded towels from earlier, he placed her on the edge of his bed and dropped one over her head while wrapping the other around her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose your expression is appropriate for the situation,” she sniffled while taking a deep breath. “The area above my occipital bone is quite excruciating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The fuck?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Everett pulled the towel on her head to the side to try and figure out where that was with his fingers roaming over the back of her skull. He shrugged to hide his trepidation, “You’re handling it pretty well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira eyed him, “For a child, you mean.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen bigger men than me fall to head injuries.” He found it - if the involuntary whimper was any indication - and hissed in sympathy, “Shit, sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears filled her eyes and Everett’s heart plummeted, “I don’t deserve your sympathy, both you and Daddy have experienced worse-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A crack and the familiar sound of magic ignited the air behind him and then there was Stephen’s voice, shouting as he crossed the portal’s threshold, “Everett!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Everett hadn’t finished turning around to face his intruder, “Stephen-” before he was abruptly swept off his feet and dropped onto the bed without feeling a single hand on him. He mentally growled, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Magic</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen didn’t waste a second, demanding an explanation from him while hovering magic circles in front of his face, “Where are you hurt? Levi heard a crash and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett slapped at the hand that got a bit too close to his nose and frowned at the wizard, “It was Vira who fell, and what’s this about your damn cape hanging around my door?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vira?” Stephen blinked and straightened to finally look at the small towel-wrapped child on the bed. Everett watched Stephen push the towel from her head, “Don’t cower; let me see.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spying forgotten, Everett leaned closer, waving a hovering hand around the back of her head, “She flinched when I touched around here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The magic circles around his hands winked out as Stephen brought one to the back of Vira’s head. “Occipital?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She winced as Stephen’s fingers bushed the precise spot on her head, “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen nodded as his scarred hand pressed fully against the back of her skull. There was a faint glow under his palm and a simple rune materialized on the back of his hand. Everett felt a flare of heat against his face even from more than a foot away and the bright rune jittered a moment before the magic and heat dissipated. “No fracture, not unusual for a young child’s body. It’s remarkable how much trauma they can suffer before things truly start breaking.” Stephen took back his hand and caught Everett’s gaze, “I’ve blocked the pathways in that area for the next few days; inhibiting the majority of the pain and swelling. I’ve also trapped a portion of my energy in there so it can speed along her body’s natural healing process.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tightness in his chest, the borderline panic he felt at seeing Vira in so much pain was all but gone after Everett heard Stephen’s calm confidence. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling up at the wizard-doctor, “You’re a marvel, thank you.” Stephen’s eyes widened as one side of his cloak’s collar began fanning his face. Stephen hissed at it to stop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett and Stephen immediately turned back as Vira let out a whine and both men moved as one when she continued to brush her hand over the back of her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett swatted at her offending hand while Stephen forced her eyes to his by lifting her chin with his thumb and forefinger, “It will still hurt if you insist on touching it; I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>sever </span>
  </em>
  <span>the area from the rest of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira’s face morphed into an impressive pout, “I wanted to feel the energy you placed there. I am having trouble sensing mine and I thought if I knew what energy felt like it would be easier for me to identify it within my body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen sighed through his nose and released her, “You will not be able to sense it as I can; your soul and body are too young yet-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She huffed, “But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>everything you do. I know it’s there, that should be enough-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Knowing of it and experiencing it are not the same.” Stephen straightened to his full height. “As it is, your soul is still uncertain of its vessel. It’s holding back from your body until it finishes merging with it.” Stephen tried to offer her a reassuring smile, “Your soul hasn’t even found out which Primes will be able to function as Pillars for itself yet, let alone allow some of its energy go to be harnessed by you. Right now, it is too vulnerable. It won't be able to replenish the energy it's using to merge with each of your Primes until it’s complete and if it runs out before it finishes merging with each and every one of your chakras it would be...” Stephen paused to place a gentle hand on her head, “A deviation of the soul can ruin both it and the body irreparably and will negatively impact you for the rest of your life; a soul can only gain energy by experiencing life, Vira. By </span>
  <em>
    <span>living</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But what kind of life would - could - you have if your soul and body diverted from each other? What if that last chakra was a Prime? What if that Prime was supposed to be one of your Pillars?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She interrupted him with a glare, “</span>
  <span>You sit in your sanctum and meditate and the energy just <em>pours</em> into you.” Vira flailed her arms in an effort to emphasize her point, causing the towel still wrapped around her to slip off and pool on the bed, “You have so much energy you </span>
  <em>
    <span>give it away</span>
  </em>
  <span>. To me, to Mommy to-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett interrupted her raving with a tight wrapping of her towel, “Christ, Stephen, let her go put some damn clothes on before you lecture her about her chakras or soul or whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Stephen watched the damp little girl being steadily swaddled by a nervous parent. “Yes.” He cleared his throat, “Levi, ensure Vira’s safety while she’s in the other room.” With a rustle of heavy silk and a flash of red, Vira was donning the adult cloak with no less grandeur than the sorcerer himself. Not that she was actually in control of where the garment was headed, if her wriggling limbs and dagger eyes were any indication of her true feelings towards being carried away when she wasn’t yet done with the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stared after her until the door to their joined bathroom shut, “You know, she only calls me Mommy because you’re already Daddy.” Stephen lifted one brow and shifted his eyes so theirs could meet. “And two human males cannot sire an offspring together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen flashed an unabashedly proud smile at him, “Her exact words I imagine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s lips pinched together in a valiant attempt to suppress his smile, “More or less.” A contented noise rumbled from Stephen’s chest and Everett continued before Stephen said something, “How much of your past did you say she knows?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s smile vanished, “She knows all of </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> past. Every patient I’ve saved, every order you’ve carried out, every blow we’ve taken, all the lives we’ve witnessed end.” Stephen turned to him, with only a portion of his six feet looming over Everett sitting on the edge of the bed, “I don’t believe she has conscious awareness of all of our combined memories, otherwise she would be more knowledgeable of the Mystical Arts and I wouldn’t be constantly having to explain fundamentals to her.” He sighed, “She may not have had the time to sit down and process it all. To peruse it, if you will.” Stephen moved to settle beside him on the bed, close enough for Everett to feel his body heat. “I am not exactly sure how the creature created the doll, but I’ve tested her when she first came from you and I’ve come to the conclusion that our memories are there inside her; fully available to her if she cares enough to try and recall whatever she wants of our past.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Christ.” Everett took a hand through his silver-blond hair, “No wonder she’s so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sharp?” Stephen supplied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Serious. Intense.” Everett amended, “For a little girl, I mean.” Stephen gave him a look and Everett ran both of his hands over his face, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What am I going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span>? They already view me as a security risk, but what happens when they find out about her? About </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s a good thing she doesn't look like you. Otherwise they may think she’s the alien.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think they won’t think that? Her appearance is too coincidental for them not to think something, Stephen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen shrugged, “She appears more the image of me than you. Blonde hair on a fair skinned girl is too cliche, too coincidental, for them to pin on your genetics when her face and bone structure mirror mine rather than yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett snorted, shaking his head, “Coincidences rarely are and you’re forgetting something about the CIA Stephen: we would have noticed if you’d had a child in tow long before now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like how you were aware of Wong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett narrowed his eyes and Stephen preened under the glare, “Don’t look so surprised, I knew you weren’t aware of Wong before yesterday morning. We sorcerers have to learn how to hide ourselves from the world if we intend to protect it. If everyone knew how much our magic and mystical ways could help them, well…” Stephen smirked, “I’d say the Sanctum would see far more visitors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett clicked his tongue, “I guess if she can be kept hidden-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's too late for that,” Stephen interrupted. “You and I are far too high-profile for our daughter to remain unknown to others, let alone to a government’s intelligence agency. Have you seen the friends you keep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett bristled, “How is this my fault?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen laughed, “I was, and perhaps can still be considered, world-renown, but only among the right circles. I do not involve myself with the rest of the world, I make a point not to; humanity’s mundane problems are not mine. You, on the other hand,” Stephen glanced around the room. “I was never one to become close friends with the royal family of a technologically powerful, arguably superior, nation.” Stephen leaned closer, not quite yet invading personal space, and lifted his hand to the back of Everett’s jaw. Stephen took his time scraping a finger along the stubble, seemingly enjoying it, and made a point to examine the bit of spiced shaving cream that came away with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett could - should - have stopped him, but his chest was tightening and his stomach was fluttering and he would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit having someone aware and attentive enough of him to notice such a thing as a ‘missed spot’ was a level of intimacy he found comforting. Stephen’s icy blue eyes snapped back to his and Everett hoped the rising flush he felt under the scrutiny wasn’t visible in the dim morning light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the moment broke as Stephen shot to his feet and crossed the length of the room to the door before Everett had a chance to catch his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett rose from the bed, “Stephen-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Breakfast isn't until eight, more than enough time for you to finish your morning routine, Everett.” Stephen wrenched open the door, only sparing a quarter of his face to look over his shoulder, “Vira and I prefer our Airmen clean-shaven.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And Everett found all he could do was watch him leave.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bit longer than normal, hope you enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>At first, Stephen was too preoccupied with the possibility of Everett being in danger and dismissed the blip on his senses as nothing but a figment of his imagination. So, when it happened again, Stephen was caught off-guard because it was unmistakable for what it was. Everett’s emotions were staggering and yet he welcomed the sensation wholeheartedly, which  was why he ran away before he did something mortifying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like, succumbing to that solar flare of desire.</span>
</p><p><span>After escaping Everett’s gravity, and gaining a clearer head, he realised if Everett wasn’t bursting out of his room in response to Stephen’s tumultuous emotions it meant he couldn’t sense</span> <span>him.</span></p><p>
  <span>And with that knowledge, everything he hadn’t been feeling since yesterday finally made sense: somewhere between unconsciousness and the alien’s agreement to help, Everett’s soul had been cut off from him. While their Mirror Bond could not rival one between two Cardinals, it would still be potent enough to transcend dimensions, and to mute such a bond took considerable power. There was no way to deny the mundane man was the weaker between them. Stephen had anticipated, if there was to be an attack, Everett’s soul would have been the target, but he had assumed he would be able to tell, and prevent, when such a thing was happening because he was exceptional. Yet, for all his wisdom, Stephen couldn’t take credit for the suppression’s apparent weakening. He could only, bitterly, treasure whatever allowed Everett's loudest emotions to make their way to him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen slapped the wall with the side of his fist, how was the creature doing it? Could he stop it? Was it something it was conscious of doing? Would it stop if he were to ask? Stephen stilled at the next thought: would Everett even want to feel him again if he was given the choice? If Everett showed no evidence of loss from their silenced empathic connection then maybe that was what he wanted. What he preferred. Everett’s longing for intimacy between them had spiked when he had touched Everett’s skin but quickly dissipated once he had left the room. Stephen scowled at the implication, was it irony if the only emotional connection Everett seemed to be seeking was with the little doll made real?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Here he was, the Sorcerer Supreme with perhaps the most powerful Cardinal to have been in such a position, and he had bound his soul to a Newel who didn’t want him. The realisation that what they had now was nothing but a mutually beneficial transaction congealed into something uncomfortable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door further down the hall rattled just before Levi slashed through the air toward him. Stephen’s brow rose as the great red cloak clung a bit too close to Stephen’s form for his liking. Using a swathe of itself to pluck at his tunic, Levi shuddered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Arguing over what to wear?” Stephen released a burst of laughter despite his mood, only just resisting the urge to peek in and witness the battle being waged. With a last look back, he made the way to his room to wait out the minutes until breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>(\-/)</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett and Vira had arrived as a matching pair: blonde hair and blue eyes wearing the same loose and obnoxious patterned shirt. Vira’s victory was not subtle, but it was Shuri upon whom Everett aimed his frustration. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have known you’d pull something like this when you said no suits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vacations are not the place for suits, Everett, and how many do you see in Wakanda? You would not be seen as a tourist more than if you were to tattoo it on your forehead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m white, Shuri, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>tattooed on my face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, they hadn’t had more time to go beyond that exchange as T’Challa arrived with Okoye following at full attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa and Okoye’s greetings and conversations were as expected, but Stephen noted the odd, lingering glances Okoye and Shuri settled on his daughter. Sure, Vira might not have the most respectful manners, stubbornly refusing to stand for T’Challa’s entrance until Everett hauled her up with his glare alone, but T’Challa’s disregard of the child’s attitude should have been enough for them. Their intensity unsettled him, how did Everett not notice? Not say something?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Princess Shuri,” her eyes narrowed at him from over the rim of her cup but Stephen continued, “could I take a look at the data you collected on Everett’s body from yesterday? If possible I would also like to compare it to when he was last in your care.” Such a large gap in time between samples wasn’t ideal, and he would prefer a new data point now that the creature inside Everett had agreed to imbue him with some minuscule bit of its energy to help overcome looming mundane mortality-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty sure I’m the one you should be asking that. One would think a doctor would know about patient confidentiality.” Everett added around a bite, “What are you looking for?” Stephen hesitated only a moment but that was more than enough; Everett smelled blood. “What’s wrong?” His response was immediate. Was that a flicker of unease from him as well? Was that where he was getting that feeling from?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen could have lied - would have liked to - it wasn’t as if Everett would understand, but then he remembered the promise he’d made and of the threats Everett had. “I have had difficulty sensing you and your emotions since you awoke from the creature’s influence yesterday. I thought you managed to succeed in suppressing yourself from me, but when I tried to force some of my energy into you I felt it rebound, which meant you were also succeeding in blocking me.” Stephen glanced at his plate, “I didn’t want to think about the implications of my soulbound purposefully ignoring me and so I failed to consider the obvious,” Stephen looked up, returning his eyes to Everett’s, “you shouldn’t be able to do that. I mean no disrespect to you but you are far beneath me when it comes to being able to manipulate your inner energies. Your reserves alone are too little to even hope to withstand any sort of assault I might make against your soul and the mere fact you are currently accomplishing such a feat means the energy coursing within you is not your own.” Stephen pushed away his plate to bring his hands together in a plea, “You must understand: any deviation in the connection of two souls bound together poses a serious threat to them both, and harbouring too much of another’s energies within you can cause that deviation. I need to see what sort of changes are manifesting physically because that is where the creature promised to confine it’s meddling and if it is lying, or unaware, it needs to be warned into stopping.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen felt a sharp pang of guilt in his heart at Everett’s look of surprise. Did he really think so little of him honouring his word? “Well, uhm,” Everett turned to Shuri, “I’m sure you have it saved somewhere, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I also have the records of your recovery after you returned to your country.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s face tightened, “Shuri-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Not excellent,” Everett snapped at Stephen before returning his anger to Shuri. “I’m not going to bother asking how you got it but I do want to know why you thought it was okay to have my medical records.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he might not condone the behaviour, Stephen understood her motives completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuri met Everett’s glare head-on, “I performed the surgery; it was my reputation if something happened. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>turned down Brother’s offer to stay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett stared at her, disbelief in every crease of his forehead, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> said the procedure went perfectly fine, and what good would it have done if there was a complication? Wakanda is too far and too isolated for me to be relocated in the event of an emergency.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You overestimate your people, Everett.” Shuri folded her arms across her chest, “You think they would be able to understand my methods? My technology? I was your only chance if something went wrong.” Shuri untucked a hand to jab a finger at him, “You should be happy I continued keeping an eye on you after you left. I was the responsible one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to agree with her, Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s attention shifted to Stephen, “You’re supposed to be on my side here, </span>
  <em>
    <span>soulbound</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen refused to let show how Everett’s snide use of that pronoun affected him. “I can assure you, from what I saw yesterday, no one outside her lab would be confident working on you should something happen to the vibranium implants holding you together.” Stephen had no illusions about the disparity between the technologies of Wakanda and the rest of the world. “You work for the CIA; people, other than medical professionals, having access to your records should be expected.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I’m not an idiot, Stephen,” Everett snapped. “I am well aware the agency would have full access to them.” Everett turned back to her, “I would have given it to you if you had asked me, Shuri.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuri bristled, “I should not have to ask. That vibranium inside you is Wakandan property and I’ll be thrown from a cliff before I let the CIA keep it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not-” Everett’s expression blanked, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shuri rolled her eyes, “You are too trusting Everett. You must know that bit of vibranium inside you is valuable to them. There are detailed protocols to have you recovered under any circumstances- alive or not. I am surprised they hadn’t killed you to claim it for themselves once they found out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is why I wanted you to stay with us.” Everett paused his next remark to meet T’Challa’s resigned expression, “There is no loyalty you could show your people that would be enough to overcome their greed for what makes my country powerful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s own teeth ached from hearing Everett’s grind together, “And I was the only non-Wakandan connection to their king.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa nodded, “An agent is only valuable to them alive so long as they would not gain more than what could be earned from their death.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s emotions flared and Stephen basked in the righteous fury, “I never gave them anything on Wakanda, on you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>T’Challa lifted his palm to stop him, “There is no need to worry, my friend, I knew my trust in you was not misplaced. The messages Shuri found of you were just the proof I needed to convince the others to stop insisting you be killed.” T’Challa shook his head lightly, “Do not be mad at Shuri for doing this, it was at my request once she told me what was discovered alongside your medical files.” His face softened, “You are a weakness of mine, Everett. I knew of the risks to me and my own when I let you go back to your country but I could not bring myself to keep you here against your will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett slid his eyes to meet Stephen’s, “Doesn’t stop some people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen refused to feel shame or guilt over Everett’s unreasonable expectations, “You cannot compare the reasons I confined you to the Sanctum to the mundane selflessness of a man responsible for one country.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and your reasons were so noble?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had the fate of the Earth, of the universe, to consider.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett frowned, “Well, why not consider me and what I want? I’m the one with the damn alien messing around inside me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen sneered, “When did you become so petty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I found out the normal life I had hoped to go back to when this was all over was a goddamn lie!” Everett roared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many times will I have to remind you? You lost whatever chance at a normal life the moment you and I bound our souls together!” Stephen blasted back at him. “And how dare you claim I do not care about you. I gave you options, Everett, other paths to take than a ritual neither of us would be able to simply walk away from when this was all over. I knew and explained the consequences of each one to let you choose because I wanted you to be in complete control of how the situation progressed.” Stephen looked down his nose at Everett, “Both of us must accept your choice; we cannot go back and undo something like that just because you want to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Much to Stephen’s surprise, Everett shot up from his seat with a snarl, “You’re the one with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>unlimited potential</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the Sorcerer Supreme!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s face tightened, “I may be the most powerful of Earth’s Sorcerers but to reverse something like that would require power I do not have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some Master of the Mystic Arts,” Everett barked out a laugh, “I haven’t seen you do anything impressive beyond flashy hocus-pocus and some teleportation. You had to beg the alien into doing what you can’t so what good are you now, huh?” Everett hammered a finger into Stephen’s chest to punctuate every one of his next words, “You weren’t even that good of a fuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That word’s simple vulgarity had more power behind it than Stephen ever felt from a word not part of an incantation. However, Stephen would swear, as his hand moved on its own to grip the one pounding into his chest, he was as helpless against its effect as if it had been the final, vital component of a curse. Stephen all but lunged at the infuriating man standing before him. He crowded into his space and slammed their bodies together while his free hand fisted into Everett’s hair. Stephen forced the angle of their heads so his lips conquered Everett’s with brutal, ruthless efficiency.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Finally.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought ricocheted from his head down to every last nerve ending and capillary before Stephen pried Everett’s lips apart to gorge on every shuddering breath of surrender.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Closer.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen wasn’t sure if he had heard it or felt it or tasted it from the man against him but he would not deny Everett what he needed, too. Desperately. And so he spun them around and shoved Everett up against the table with enough force its wood legs shrieked across the polished floor. There was more noise then: objects clattering and words Stephen heard but refused to acknowledge because they did not come from the only one whose demands mattered to him. Stephen released the captive hand to manhandle Everett onto the table, cutting off the rebellious discontent with a rough swipe of his hand under that appalling patterned shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Everett’s shift into enthusiastic, albeit combative, participation was announced with a divine command:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Harder.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett worked both of his hands up and over Stephen’s shoulders. One slipped under the cloak, hiking up his tunic in an attempt to pull him down, while the other, the blessed other, wrung a strained grunt from him and utterly destroyed his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was equal parts wondrous and ruinous and all Stephen could do was continue the mantra whispered between their shared breaths: </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>More.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett spread his legs wider and shifted closer to him and the edge, giving Stephen half a second to catch himself before he tipped over and slammed Everett’s back onto the table. Having lost his hold on Everett’s head, Stephen was forced to relinquish his control over how their lips moved against each other. But then, embarrassingly, Stephen remembered he didn’t need to use his hand to keep them from falling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett started when he felt Stephen’s second hand join the other in trailing all over the skin under his shirt and released a breathless chuckle, “Cheating wizard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen counted each of Everett’s ribs on their way over his obliques, his voice lowering when he reached his goal and sent Everett’s entire body trembling under him, “Perks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Christ, Stephen,” Everett hissed, pulling back and hyperventilating expletives. Stephen released one of Everett’s nipples to stuff the lower hem of his shirt into his open mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t,” Stephen lowered his head, smirking at the look of needy anticipation in Everett’s dark eyes. “Pass out,” breath teased over the taut skin. “Yet,” Stephen bit down on one while pinching the other and Everett seized with a muffled shout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s supplication drove Stephen on to prove his hands and mouth had no rival - regardless of Everett’s previous triumphs. Stephen was determined to win this round and he wasted not another moment before slipping his freed hand down to the drawstring on Everett’s waistband. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen felt the heat radiating from just beneath the loose fabric of Everett’s pants and called upon all his years as both a doctor and a disciple of the mystic arts to refrain from giving in and touching when the uncensored experience was close. So close. Stephen tugged on the knotted string only once before cursing the nuisance into unravelling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a loud slam and both men froze, looking up to take in the state of the dining room around them. What dishware had managed to stay on the table was skewed and its contents messy but at least the place was devoid of others-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really should continue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men turned to where Vira had remained seated; a spoon ticked back and forth between her thumb and forefinger as she blatantly watched them from a seat too far from the table to allow her to continue eating. Everett then looked at their positions with a diminishing haze of lust and need. He let himself ease backwards, flat over the table, and brought an arm over his eyes, “What the fuck are we doing, Stephen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen steeled himself and took a deliberate three steps back from the warm, responsive man lying prone and open on a dining table before him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett must have sensed the tension because, when Stephen finally looked up, Everett was bracing himself on his elbows to meet his gaze, “Stephen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy is resisting his soul’s need for you.” Stephen’s attention snapped to her and he didn't bother to hide the contempt in his expression at her words and their implications. Vira sneered when their eyes met, “Daddy thought he was clever and instructions were open for interpretation instead of what they truly were: orders that must be followed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be quiet,” Stephen warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is she talking about?” Everett’s concern was obvious in his voice and his immediate rise back into a sitting position, but Stephen would not abandon his fixation on that child fearlessly meeting his glare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira grinned with intent, “He was too much a coward to force you to consummate the ritual and thought a confession of love would be enough to convince your untrained soul to merge with his outside your vessel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen flicked his wrist, a bright flare of runes in front of his palm, and her chair spun around to slam back against the table so she faced him. Everett was on his feet and between them in an instant. “Get out of my way, Everett.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Everett said with all the bottled fury of a man confused and the frustration that came with it. He called to the child behind him, “What’s happening to him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched her slide from her seat and move toward them, “Daddy’s soul is incomplete; the effects of which are finally catching up to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s heart hammered in his chest but he masked the disquiet filling him with a scoff, “That cannot be possible. I have mastered my soul, I would know if-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Souls need to meet as the final act of the ritual to bind together,” Vira interrupted as she came to a stop next to Everett, “but to leave the vessel is dangerous and leaves it vulnerable. The mortal realm is not meant for a soul to reside without some sort of protection. There are ways to initiate a forced release of a soul, but the most reliable method requires one to be a master of theirs and have absolute confidence in the surrounding environment to warrant risking such a thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen watched Everett’s lips mutter something about </span>
  <em>
    <span>candles </span>
  </em>
  <span>and scowled at the girl, “Yes, and both of those conditions were met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are a fool for not simply doing as instructed and releasing your soul into his vessel to eliminate the additional, avoidable, possibility of him not having enough confidence in you to control his soul for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett blinked many times before looking at the girl standing next to him as she and Stephen continued staring each other down, “Hang on, are you saying we would have needed to actually fuck for that whole thing to work out in the first place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She only shifted her eyes to meet Everett’s, “Yes, the act of sexual intercourse is the safest way souls can come together to merge. The ritual of leaving bits of your chakras inside the other is so the soul being released into the other vessel does not become untethered from this plane.” Vira looked at Stephen again, “It is </span>
  <em>
    <span>utterly </span>
  </em>
  <span>reckless to fabricate a true soulbond. Such a thing only naturally occurs if two souls meet each other across countless universes on their own and have decided that they would rather stop existing through all of them than to be separated. To force one is a hubris only true love can overcome.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s hands clenched as tightly as his heart and he took a threatening step toward her, “Our souls did touch-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett placed a firm hand to Stephen’s chest as Vira shook her head, “When my creator saw your moment of weakness, that you would not go through with what would be necessary to succeed, it took a portion of the soul you released from your body and brought it into Mommy’s vessel so it could use your chakra energies as a medium through which his soul could still be accessed as promised.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen took a sharp step back. “That’s not- I would have felt-,” he stopped himself, everything she said about his changes to the ‘plan’ was correct and she was making too much sense for him to continue lying to himself if this was true. “Why has it only begun affecting me now?” Stephen demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vira shrugged, “I do not know, but I suspect the proximity between your vessel and the stolen fragment of your soul was satisfactory enough for it to not concern itself with recovering it.” She looked up at Everett, “Perhaps when my creator forcibly suppressed Mommy’s soul it affected yours more than you thought and set in motion a need to reclaim what was taken out of fear of what would happen if it lost all contact with that bit and forever remain incomplete.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen felt his expression slip, and he turned his back to them with his eyes shut and sought out his soul. He wasn’t sure how long it took him, the meandering of his mind at the implications if what she said was true, were making it difficult for him to reflect, but when he found it - such a small portion of himself missing - he was insulted and surprised, and yet not, at how much it affected him. Stephen nearly crumbled then and there: he, the Sorcerer Supreme, was falling apart with barely anything missing from his soul. This was as parasitic a bond as he could comprehend, and it was more insidious than what he originally, foolishly, arrogantly thought possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, welcome back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Focusing on the man before him, Stephen blinked in the morning light as he resurfaced. Suddenly finding he could no longer dare meet those dark blue eyes, he settled on staring at Everett’s nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A corner of Everett’s lips lifted, “Find out the kid was right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen nodded, but took a moment to clear his throat before responding, “It is embarrassing to admit, but she is correct.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose this means we didn’t bind our souls to each other?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen pressed his lips together and started off toward the entrance of the dining room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everett’s hand was on his arm, halting him. Stephen couldn’t bring himself to break their connection, so he silently resigned himself to his fate and waited as Everett took a deep breath, “Well, then, open a portal to your room because I’m sure as shit not stepping outside that door where Shuri and T’Challa are, without a doubt, just waiting for us to come out.” Stephen wrenched his neck around to gape at the mischievous smirk on Everett’s face, “I’m also not going to let you fuck me on that table.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-why?” Stephen started again at Everett’s widening smile, “Why would you want to complete the ritual? You’ve been offered precisely what you wanted: a life of relative normality.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No guarantee I’ll make it very long without you and your magic.” Everett sighed, “While I’m sure T’Challa could handle whatever the CIA comes after me with now that I’ve left the States, I don’t trust anyone but you being able to deal with the alien.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stephen’s heart twisted in his chest, “This is exactly what I wanted to avoid in the first place. I did not want you to feel trapped with no alternative than to submit yourself to me.” Stephen found his courage - </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>cowardice - and put physical distance between them by taking back his arm and turning away while running his hand through his hair, “As much as I knew what I should have done I could not bring myself to force you to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard Everett come up beside him, but it wasn’t until Stephen, again, felt the weight of a hand on his arm did he turn to acknowledge Everett’s presence. “I realise that. Vira was very… informative, while you were zoning out there before she left.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, spellbound, Stephen watched that hand slide down the rest of his arm in awe. The journey ended with them standing before each other with Everett’s eyes unable to meet his; instead fixated wholly on the act of them interlacing their fingers. Everett’s body tensed but his hold on Stephen’s hand was nothing but gentle, “So, what I guess I mean to say is:”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Stephen didn't want- couldn’t- </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>survive it if he continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ev-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I have to take a cock up the ass to save the universe, I want yours.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As this is a WIP, please, be wary of the tags and I apologise if ever one is added that sours your taste of this story before you get to experience its conclusion but remember I will always treasure however much time you’ve honoured me with.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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